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Govt slammed for ignoring plight of quake victims |
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Sunday, 08 January 2006 |
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KARACHI: Former city Nazim and Chief Coordinator, Al-Khidmat, Naimatullah Khan, said that victims of earthquake were suffering the worst weather that hit the entire northern parts of the country and Azad Kashmir due to mismanagement and lopsided planning of the government. He held the government responsible for criminal negligence and carelessness while providing aluminum shelter homes due to which thousands of women's, children's, and men's lives were endangered .
Addressing a press conference at the Idara-e-Noor-e-Haq on Tuesday after a six-day tour of the devastated areas, he presented a detailed picture, which according to him was the worst-ever as these poor and innocent people were dying in thunderstorms and hailstorms as the government failed to provide proper shelter and instead erected tents on mountains which could not bear the natural calamity of hailstones and sleet.
He demanded of the government to present details as to how much money was spent on the relief and rehabilitation of the earthquake-affected out of the donation, it collected at the time of the donors' conference. He also asked the president and the Prime Minister to visit the devastated area and spend at least one night in the camps to really experience first-hand, the severity of the situation.
He said Muzafarabad, the Leepa and Neelum Valleys, were severed from the other parts of the country. All traffic, he said, had been suspended due to heavy snowfall and storms. The people of the affected areas were looking for help from the Karachiites, he said.
He also said that survivors of the October 2005 earthquake faced another upheaval if they would were not provided with proper shelter, clothing, and other essential items. He said Al-Khidmat was the biggest institution after the Pakistan army having more than 10,000 volunteers carrying out relief activities.
The Jamat-e-Islami, he said, was planning mass sacrifice on Eid-ul Adha and requested people to donate generously and share in making Eid-ul-Azha a joyous occasion for the Quake affectees by contributing Rs2500 for a goat and Rs5000 share per head for a cow. |
