President outlines steps to rehabilitate quake victims
By Our Special Correspondent

RAWALPINDI—President General Pervez Musharraf Tuesday said the Government is committed to rehabilitation of vulnerable earthquake victims including orphaned children, widows and disabled persons through an integrated approach aimed at providing them adequate shelter, education, healthcare and economic opportunities.
He was addressing a meeting which discussed matters related to handling of patients in hospitals, rehabilitation of refugees after helping them to overcome the shock, assistance required in their return to their areas as quickly as possible, distribution of compensation amounts and assistance in rebuilding of their individual houses.
The meeting was attended by Health Minister Muhammad Naseer Khan Minister for Social Welfare and Special Education Zubaida Jalal, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Aneesa Zeb Taherkheli, Advisor to the PM on Women Development Neelofar Bakhtiar and Federal Relief Commissioner Maj General Farooq Ahmed Khan.
The meeting stressed that no patient be discharged from hospitals without being registered, after which they should be taken to affiliated convalescence centres. These centres have been set up in Rawalplind and Islamabad and later would be established in the quake-affected areas.
It was also agreed that after proper identification, orphaned children and those still without their parents, destitute women and those needing rehabilitation would be taken care of by the Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education. The others, who find their relatives, will go back to their homes.
The meeting also discussed quick distribution of compensation to those individuals and families who need to re-construct individual houses, which are not part of towns or cities but situated in outlying areas. The meeting was informed that distribution of money would be properly recorded and photographed so as to obviate any chances of misappropriation.
The President emphasized the need for integrating all efforts to ensure proper health, education, shelter and development opportunities for the orphaned children, widows, and destitute in the wake of October 8 earthquake Azad Jammu and Kashmir and NWFP. President Musharraf directed that special care be taken to look after the hospitalized people and said in addition to all concerned ministries and government departments, the entire society has to come forward to pull them out of shock.
“The government will pay special attention to these people at dedicated centres — but all segments of the society including the non-governmental organizations should contribute to these efforts, as we have to enable these people to rebuild their lives,” he said. Online adds: A high level meeting held Tuesday in Army House Rawalpindi under the President general Pervez Musharraf has accorded approval to important decisions about rehabilitation of children rendered orphans in October 8 earthquake and widows.
Health minister Naseer Khan, Minister for Social Welfare Zubaida Jalal, Advisor to Prime Minister on Women Development, Neelofar Bakhtiar, State Minister for Information, Aneesa Zeb Tahir Kheli, Federal Relief Commissioner, Maj Gen Farooq Ahmad Khan and other senior officers also attended the meeting. In line with these decisions the responsibility of upbringing and education of these children has been assigned to ministry for social welfare and special education and rehabilitation and care of women rendered widows in earth quake has been entrusted with ministry for women development.