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Punjab to set up relief camp for IDPs

Punjab government will set up a relief camp for people of the troubled NWFP areas near Attock bridge on Indus river, says chief minister’s senior adviser Sirdar Zulfikar Khosa.— File Photo

LAHORE: Punjab government will set up a relief camp for people of the troubled NWFP areas near Attock bridge on Indus river, says chief minister’s senior adviser Sirdar Zulfikar Khosa.

At a press conference here on Wednesday, he said at least 20 truckloads of relief goods would be dispatched to the camp for onward delivery to the turbulent districts of the North Western Frontier Province, mostly in Malakand division where an army operation was going on against militants.The camp would not be meant for lodging displaced people, he clarified, adding 13 goods-laden trucks from Lahore and 17 from Faisalabad were dispatched to the NWFP on Wednesday.

The goods, including flour, sugar, tea, lentils, rice, ghee, dried milk, biscuits and new clothes, would be collected from across the province, Mr Khosa said.The Attock district coordination officer (DCO) will monitor the camp and make arrangements for onwards delivery of goods, while elected representatives of the district would be overseeing the operation independently. 
Also president of the Punjab chapter of the PML-N, Khosa said all organisations and wings of the party had been activated to collect as much donations for the displaced people as possible.

He said the government had also decided to waive payment of fees for the children of Malakand studying in the province’s educational institutions.

A relief fund with Rs100 million seed money had also been set up for which party chief Nawaz Sharif had also contributed Rs5 million from his own pocket, he said. He said the Punjab government employees would donate their one-day salary and Punjab Assembly members one-month pay for the fund, appealing to the masses to make generous contributions to the cause.

CM’s adviser Raja Ashfaq Sarwar was also present during the press conference. After visiting displaced people’s camp at Mardan the other day, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif had sought that the Punjab government should set up a relief camp for the affected people separately. 
National Disaster Management Authority officials had also suggested establishment of camps in Punjab to look after the people likely to be displaced during the army operation.

PPP: The Pakistan People’s Party is setting up camps in all districts of Punjab to collect relief goods for internally displaced persons from Malakand division.  Punjab PPP secretary-general Samiullah Khan told a news conference after the party’s provincial executives’ meeting here on Wednesday. Flanked by provincial information secretary Dr Fakharuddin Chaudhry, Samiullah said the meeting also decided to take out a rally in Lahore on May 22 to express solidarity with the IDPs and the armed forces engaged in operation against Taliban. 
He said the PPP condemned terrorist activities in Swat and other areas. He said the entire nation was behind the government’s decision to go hard on terrorists.  Terming President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to USA a success Mr Khan said it helped the world understand Pakistan’s commitment to get rid of terrorists. The president also did not seek aid but stressed for trade to give a boost Pakistan’s sagging economy. He said the PPP workers had also been asked to hoist Pakistani flag on roofs of their houses.

Earlier, the meeting was presided over by Punjab PPP president Rana Aftab Ahmed Khan. He asked the divisional presidents to give recommendations to fill the party posts lying vacant for some time. The meeting also decided to request the co-chairman of the party to hold the coming local government elections under party system. It also agreed to take feedback from the party workers of provincial divisions over the local body system in present form

 Dawn :Thursday, 14 May, 2009