NATO rules out longer stay
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—NATO has again ruled out the possibility of its forces stay in Pakistan beyond 90 days saying its relief team would return after completing relief and rescue work in stipulated time.
Addressing the news briefing here at a local hotel on Thursday, the Commander of the NATO Disaster Relief Team in Pakistan, Air Commodore Andrew G. Walton, said that the NATO Relief team currently stationed in Pakistan was not a combat force but it was basically a relief team comprising of Engineers and doctors.
He said that NATO Relief team has come to Pakistan on the request of the government of Pakistan and it has no intention to stay here on permanent basis.
He said that the basic aim of the NATO Relief Team is to conduct relief work, stabilization and winterization of the surviving population, urgent medical relief for injured and general medical care and it would return after completing its work.
He said that the NATO Relief team was working in collaboration with Pakistan Army and we working with complete harmony and providing relief facilities to the earthquake victims.
He said that NATO continued expanding its relief efforts in the air and ground as NATO helicopters evacuated hundreds of earthquake victims from remote villages, NATO medics treated hundreds of patients while continuing to expand their hospital facility and NATO engineers worked with Pakistan Army to build winterized shelters.
He said that working together with Pakistan Army, teams of NATO and Pakistani personnel would move to areas above 5000 feet to build winterized shelters and these teams would operate at high elevations until the weather makes the work impossible.
“We are sending these teams up the mountains to reach those most vulnerable to the bitter winter weather rapidly descending there. Providing this kind of shelter against the elements is just one of the projects we’ re working in the Bagh area, and it will save lives,” he said.
In reply to a query, he said that Islamic groups were engaged in relief work at quake-hit areas and they were not the cause of any problem for us as they were doing their work and we are working our work.
Earlier, Major Bora Onen, Turkish Air Force, gave details of the relief work, which have been done by the NATO Relief Team so far.
Addressing the news briefing here at a local hotel on Thursday, the Commander of the NATO Disaster Relief Team in Pakistan, Air Commodore Andrew G. Walton, said that the NATO Relief team currently stationed in Pakistan was not a combat force but it was basically a relief team comprising of Engineers and doctors.
He said that NATO Relief team has come to Pakistan on the request of the government of Pakistan and it has no intention to stay here on permanent basis.
He said that the basic aim of the NATO Relief Team is to conduct relief work, stabilization and winterization of the surviving population, urgent medical relief for injured and general medical care and it would return after completing its work.
He said that in close co-ordination with the government of Pakistan, NATO established a air bridge from Turkey and Germany to Pakistan and carried 2610 tons relief goods in 138 flights.
He said that these goods comprising 14450 tents, 182400 blankets, 6300 mattresses, 11200 sleeping bags, 2900 stoves and various other items including medical supplies and food.
He said that NATO Relief Team established one operation room with the capacity of 40 beds in Bagh and it would establish two more operation rooms with the capacity of 60 beds very soon.
He said that NATO medics so far treated 2000 patients and daily examines 150 people daily.
About the engineering activities, he said that we had categorized our work in seven fields included water supply, shelter for winter, school repair, sanitation, hospitals repair, roads/trails repair and debris removal.
He said that NATO Engineers were also working to repair hospitals, roads and schools at Bagh and Ajra.