President, PM call for stepping up relief operations
By Our Special Correspondent

ISLAMABAD—President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz besides discussing over all relief and rehabilitation process reaffirmed the resolve to speed up rehabilitation activities in quake-hit areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and NWFP in a well coordinated manner.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz met President General Pervez Musharraf at Army House Rawalpindi on Saturday.
Both leader also stressed upon international community to increase their aide assistance for earthquake affectees saying we are having a race against time and we should hurry up to save people from severe winter conditions.
They also agreed to the point that blankets and tents should be provided to the people of quake-hit areas before the onset of shivering cold weather.
Both the president and prime minister directed Federal relief commission and relief and rehabilitation bureau besides other private as well as international organisation to speed up their activities on urgent basis.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz also apprised the president about his meeting with international leaders on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation conference and took him into confidence about the decision taken during the conference.
He also told the President that international community is very much concerned over the massive losses in October 8 earthquake in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and NWFP and they have shown keenness to do something for Pakistan.
The Premier also told President Musharraf about his meetings with opposition leaders saying all political groups are actively participating in the relief and rehabilitation activities, however they (opposition) have serious reservations over presence of NATO troops in the country.
The President informed the premier that NATO troops have come to Pakistan only to help the quake affectees and they have no other on their hand other then this that soon after completing their task they will fly back to their bases. “These forces are working with Pakistan Armed forces in relief and rehabilitation work and to open the roads landslides have blocked so that relief goods are dispatched to quake-hit areas,” he added.
The President also stressed the need of implementation of aide supply pledges made during Geneva donors conference. He said the rehabilitation process will take years and we need billions of dollars for this purpose because the entire infrastructure of Azad Kashmir has been destroyed but our first priority is to provide roof to homeless people.
The Restructuring and Rehabilitation Bureau has already started over this, the president added. They also discussed over political as well economic situation of Pakistan besides mulling upcoming Rehabilitation Conference scheduled in the country next month.