Rashid optimistic about generous quake donations
By Adnan Rafique

ISLAMABAD—Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Friday pinned hope that the donor countries would make their generous contributions at the International Donors Conference being held on Saturday for relief and rehabilitation of earthquake victims.
Talking to a representative German delegation from media, parliament, think tank and humanitarian assistance workers, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said the world community has already contributed a lot and more is expected in cash and kind for the rehabilitation of people in the wake of October 8 catastrophe.
He urged the world media to come forward and give due projection to the need for relief and rehabilitation work in the earthquake-afflicted areas of Pakistan.
He thanked the people and the government of Germany for sharing pain being suffered by the people of Pakistan in their hour of need.
Answering to questions by the members of the delegation, the Federal Minister said, Pakistan being a peace-loving nation is playing vital role in the war against terrorism despite the ever worst earthquake devastation in the northern parts of the country.
In reply to a question he said in firm tone that there was no question for acceptance of Line of Control as permanent border between India and Pakistan.
He said Pakistan under the dynamic leadership of President General Pervez Musharraf has been striving to seek the peaceful solution of the long-standing issue of Kashmir through composite dialogue process.
He said opening of the LoC at five different points for exchange of relief goods is a step but still more efforts are required to let the Kashmiri people allow pass through these points to meet and share the sufferings on either side of the LoC. Replying to another question, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that Pakistan had deployed Army in the Waziristan Agency the bordering areas with Afghanistan to root out terrorist activities.
He said Pakistan fully supports the President Karzai government in Afghanistan and every possible support is being extended to the brotherly neighboring country. Secretary Information Shahid Rafi, Additional Secretary Information Ahsan Yusaf, Director General PBC Tarique Imam, Managing Director PTV Arshad Khan, Managing Director APP Fazl Ur Rehman Malik, Principal Information Officer Akram Shaheedi and Director General Internal Publicity Ashfaq Gondal also attended the meeting.