Rebuilding beyond Govt’s capacity, says President
Reconstruction plan to be unveiled in donors’ moot
By Zulfiqar Ahmad

ISLAMABAD—President General Pervez Musharraf Thursday said he would unfold at the November 19 donors conference a plan for reconstruction and rehabilitation of areas ravaged by the October 8 earthquake. Speaking at the 4th Postgraduate Convocation of National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), he said the newly-created Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) was in the process of compiling data on damages right from city to district and tehsil level. Based on ERRA data, the President said he would unveil the reconstruction plan at the conference to be attended by UN Secretary General Kofi Anan and representatives of international finance institutions (IFIs).
“I would appeal to the people and countries to contribute to Presidential Relief Fund (PRF) or sponsor the construction of any house, school, college or perhaps an entire village,” he added. “What we are aiming is not just rebuilding the devastated areas but going beyond that by reconstructing facilities better than before by using modern technology,” he added. President Musharraf pointed out that no country in the world could handle disaster of this magnitude alone. “In the disaster of this level, there will be shortcomings but with the help of the people, we have done what no other country could have done”. The October 8 calamity has also brought to the fore limitations in dealing with such natural disasters which ought to be set right by acquiring technical expertise to carry out rescue operations in the minimum possible time, he added. Expressing confidence to overcome this colossal challenge, the President said that the government has prepared an effective strategy for reconstruction and rehabilitation. “This is doable and we will do it”, he added.
President Musharraf said the government was targeting the distribution of Rs.20 billion among the affectees of October 8 earthquake to help them initiate re-building of their lives after the colossal tragedy. “The people in the affected areas have no money and need assistance,” the President added. President Musharraf said the biggest challenge at this moment was to give immediate financial assistance to the people in the affected areas that would help generate business and economic activities there.
Besides compensation of Rs.100,000 for people who lost their family members, Rs. 25,000 would be provided for each damaged house in Azad Kashmir and the NWFP. The government is also extending Rs. 25,000 to 50,000 to each injured as compensation, he added. The President described availability of tents and airlift of some 4000 tones of relief goods from various countries as the two immediate challenges. “We are making efforts to provide 500,000 tents to the shelterless people by the end of November,” he said.
He said airlifting of 4000 tones of relief goods lying in foreign countries was another challenge and the government was trying to transport these goods at the earliest. The NATO and other friendly countries were assisting Pakistan in airlifting of these goods, including tents, he added. The President was confident that together the government and the people of Pakistan would turn this challenge into an opportunity by providing the affected people with better houses and basic facilities of health, education, clear drinking water, and infrastructure on modern lines. The new structures would be quake and fire proof and cost effective too, he added.
President Musharraf said there were people on the highlands who did not want to come down to valleys and the government had to help them build their houses there. He said those partially damaged villages would be rebuilt on their existing places, while those completely destroyed need to be re-located. For this purpose, the President said the Corps of Army Engineers were helping people reconstruct their houses, while services of masons and carpenters from across the country were also being acquired for the purpose.
The President expressed the hope that with the help of the international community, the task would be accomplished. “The government has a strategy; people want to help, the armed forces are mobilized; the international community is extending help; NGOs are assisting; and the resources are available,” he said. He said the government was in the process of launching the National Volunteer Movement and urged the people, specially the youth, doctors and engineers to come forward to help rebuild lives of their countrymen, ravaged by the quake.