Faisal calls for NGOs’ coordination during relief, rehabilitation activities
By Ali Imran

ISLAMABAD—Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat said on Monday that we should pool together all our resources for rehabilitation of earthquake-hit areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). He was adressing a conference on Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) role in relief and reconstruction work in quake-stricken people of AJK. The conference was arranged by the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council Secretariat was attended by 141 NGOs of which 57 were foreign and 84 local.
Faisal Saleh Hayat said that NGOs had played a major role in the relief and rescue operation and their role had been appreciated everywhere. He said President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had also appreciated the role of NGOs working in quake hit areas.
The minister said that after finalisation the reports of fiveworking groups established in the Monday’s conference, another conference would be held which would be presided over by the Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.Faisal Saleh Hayat said that we have to work at various levels horizontally and vertically. He said that rehabilitation and reconstruction was basically the responsibility of the Azad Kashmir government while other agencies were just supplementing its efforts.
He said though the government in Azad Kashmir had been paralysed in early days of the earthquake, later it took control and did whatever was possible. It is race against time, we face big challenges ahead which had to be met at all cost,he added.
He further said that all the cities of AJK would be rebuilt after planning and they would become model cities. AJK President Sardar Muhamamd Anwar paid rich tributes to people who left the comfort of homes and faced vagaries of winter to help the survivors of earthquake in AJK. He thanked President Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz for timely rescue and relief efforts by the government of Pakistan. He appreciated Pakistan Army and the whole Pakistani nation for their tirelessefforts for Kashmiri brothern in this time of trial. Muhammad Anwar Khan said that the rehabilitation and reconstruction process could take from two to five years.He warned that some people had restartedconstructing their houses on the old pattern and stressed for an early policy in this regard.
Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Sikandar Hayat while expressing his views said that he was in favour of the trade between India and Pakistan. However, he said he was not in favour of exchange of flour bags at the Line of Control. Instead, he said things of immense need should be exchanged.Sikandar Hayat Khan saidthat Azad Kashmir wanted to import CGI sheets and cement from Indianheld Kashmir.He also promised that Muzaffarabad will be made a model city.Prime Minister of AJK Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan praised therole of Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas and the AJK Council Secretariat in the rescue and relief operation.
He said that Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) Chairman Lt Gen Muhammad Zubair said relief was like a hundred meter race but rehabilitation and reconstruction are like a marathon race. He said more determination would be required for completing the rehabilitation and reconstruction process.He ERRA has identified priority areas in the affected areas where donors and internationalsponsors would carry out their work The Chairman ERRA briefed the conference about the overall strategy by ERRA for rehabilitation inthe earthquake affected areas.He said that housing, education and health were being given priority as they had been badly destroyed by the October 8 earthquake.