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on the record:

Relief must be delivered to victims in their homes

ISLAMABAD: Relief goods must be provided to the earthquake survivors in their homes rather than forcing them to relocate, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, the president of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), said. Talking to Pascal Mosley, the head of the Red Cross delegation, on Wednesday, he said relocation of the quake victims to other areas might create more problems. He praised the Red Cross for its relief activities in the rehabilitation of the quake-affected people. Qazi said Pakistan is in dire need of more assistance from the international community. Mosley said the Red Cross is now engaged in relief activities in distant quake-hit areas of Pakistan. online

Kidnapping of Pakistani official’s son in India unfortunate

ISLAMABAD: The kidnapping of the son of a Pakistan High Commission official in New Delhi is an unfortunate incident, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, the minister for information and broadcasting, said on Wednesday. “We are still gathering details from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi,” he told Pakistan Television (PTV). Sheikh Rashid hoped that in the future Indian agencies would refrain from such criminal activities. He said Pakistan wants to improve relations with India. However, such incidents could have a negative impact on ties between the two countries. app

Rs 25,000 to earthquake victims although expectations are high

ISLAMABAD: The federal government will give Rs 25,000 to people whose houses were damaged in the earthquake, Faisal Saleh Hayat, the federal minister for northern areas and Kashmir affairs, said. In an interview with the BBC, the minister admitted that people were expecting more. “Our aid is only now reaching them,” he said. He said the money will reach the people within the next two weeks. “We have distributed Rs 90.5 million in Neelum Valley and Jhelum Valley,” Faisal said. About 245,000 people in Azad Kashmir need financial assistance, he said. Out of which about twenty five per cent have received financial aid. “About 1.3 million people have been given Rs 100,000 each,” he said. nni

Govt expects $5 billion from donor conference

ISLAMABAD: The government expects to generate $5 billion in aid from the donor’s conference on November 19, Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli, the state minister for information and broadcasting, said on Wednesday. She said this while visiting a relief hospital established by the CDA and the Rotary International Club in Sector H-11. Anisa said nearly all road links to the quake hit areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir had been cleared by the army and relief work was in full swing. “The government is now focusing on the rehabilitation of the quake victims and is striving to accommodate the survivors in tent villages before winter sets in,” she said. app

Pakistan wants right of self-determination for Kashmiris

NEW YORK: Pakistan wants the international community to play a positive role in giving the people of Jammu and Kashmir the right to self-determination and to end their suffering,” Ambassador Munir Akram, the permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, said. “Ultimately, strategies that deny self-determination prove counter-productive,” he said. Akram was addressing the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee, which deals with social and humanitarian issues, during its consideration on Wednesday of the agenda titled “Right of people to self-determination”. nni

Nawaz cannot return until 2010

KUND KOT: The government’s decision to give a passport to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was made on a humanitarian basis, said former prime minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali. He said there is no chance of Nawaz Sharif’s return before 2010. President Pervez Musharraf is important for the country and he should remain president for the foreseeable future, he said. Talking to reporters in Rojhan Jamali, he said the decision to open the Line of Control (LoC) would improve relations between Pakistan and India. He said Kashmiris on both sides of the LoC would be able to help each other in their time of need. online

Annan’s visit to Pakistan is crucial

MUZAFFARABAD: UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s proposed visit to Pakistan would help in accelerating international aid for the quake-stricken areas, Sardar Mohammad Anwar Khan, the president of Azad Jammu Kashmir, said. He was talking to Pat Dugan, the head of UN’s relief team. Dugan briefed Sardar Mohammad on the relief activities and said Kofi Annan may visit Muzaffarabad on November 18. Sardar Mohammad hailed the UN’s relief efforts and added that tents, food, clothes and medicine were urgently needed in the quake-affected areas. Sardar Mohammad said the affected areas had not received the kind of aid that matched the intensity of the earthquake. He said providing food and shelter to the earthquake victims in the mountainous areas before the onset of winter is a big challenge. online

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