PM wants Opposition to join relief body
By Uzma Zafar

ISLAMABAD—Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Tuesday proposed a Parliamentary Group of political parties’ heads in the Parliament to effectively cope with the challenges posed by the October 8 devastating earthquake.
The Prime Minister, who would head the proposed group, said the government had been consulting the opposition since the calamity struck.
“We want to take them along which is also the need of the hour. We want to redress their concerns,” the Prime Minister said while winding up the debate on the earthquake and relief and rescue efforts.
He called for displaying political maturity in the wake of the disaster that has killed more than 57,000 people in Azad Kashmir and NWFP and wounded thousands of others.
“This is a national issue and does not concern a political party,” he added.
Prime Minister Aziz dismissed apprehensions regarding presence of NATO’s team of engineers and doctors, who were here to assist in relief and reconstruction efforts.
He praised the contribution of NATO in providing medical assistance, airlifting tons of relief goods and helping to clear roads and debris.
“We are a living nation and will prove to the world that together we can withstand and confront such disasters,” he added.
Dilating on relief efforts, he said the government took immediate steps to reach out to the people in the affected areas despite broken roads and disrupted communication.
He praised the army personnel for their swift response to the tragedy and rescuing the quake-stricken people. Prime Minister Aziz also paid his gratitude to the NGOs, political parties and volunteers for their invaluable contribution.
He termed the October 8 tragedy worse than the December 26 Tsunami and said the devastating earthquake wreaked havoc in AJK and NWFP, dislodging tens of thousands of people. The Prime Minister said the tragedy has galvanized the entire nation.
The Prime Minister said the government is providing a compensation of Rs. 1,00,000 for every family whose head died in the quake.
He said 25,000 is being given to those whose houses were destroyed. The amount, he added, would help them rebuild their houses.
He reiterated that orphaned children will not be given for adoption and vowed the government will provide them shelter and education besides finding their kith and kin.
Shaukat Aziz said the tragedy has left a number of people without limbs and to help them lead a normal life the government will set-up centres for artificial limbs in Islamabad, NWFP and AJK in collaboration with Iran and United Kingdom.
He said the government will facilitate people in the quake- ravaged areas, who had taken agricultural and commercial loans and added Khushali Bank has initiated a scheme to help people restart their businesses.
The Prime Minister said the government has set up Federal Relief Commission and Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) to coordinate relief and rehabilitation activities.