Pakistan Rehabilitation Initiative launched: Musharraf reviews relief operation

President General Pervez Musharraf has said that after devastating earthquake, country is facing challenge of rehabilitation and reconstruction of the victims, which needs huge finances and resources for completion.
"We have launched Pakistan Rehabilitation Initiative (PRI) to gear up the rehabilitation efforts in the quake hit areas besides providing the victims relief", President said during his visit to Chaklala Air Base to review the relief operation. Chaklala Air Base is base camp of the relief operation and all relief activities are being launched from this airbase.
President said that the first stage after the October 8 devastating earthquake was rescue operation and to evacuate the stranded people. "The immediate focus in first stage was on rescue and relief operation and the second stage is rehabilitation of the victims and affected areas", President Musharraf said adding that the third stage the reconstruction stage is very tough and it needs determination besides huge finances and resources.
"At this stage we would not ascertain the exact figure of the finances we need for the reconstruction of the affected areas. But we have constituted Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (Erra)", he said and added that the Erra would operate under Lieutenant General Zubair, the Engineer in Chief of Pakistan Army and give details about the requirements for reconstruction process.
President Musharraf said he has been in touch with world leaders, stating that several countries of the world have assured him of their support and solidarity in the hour of difficulty.
Major task ahead is removing the rubble and shifting the affected people to tent villages, he said adding that these tent settlements would have all basic facilities and provide better shelter to people. "After shifting the affected people we would initiate the construction of houses and other building", he said.
He said that a tent city is being put into place near Muzaffarabad to provide shelter to 500,000 people rendered homeless. The government is setting up the Tent City with the support of United Nations, he said.
President said that in place of the devastated villages, towns and settlements government would prefer to set up model towns, villages and colonies with all modern facilities. "We will make all out efforts to act quickly during the reconstruction process and build infrastructure and settlements in the affected areas", he added.
He said that there are still various areas where rescue workers have not reached and after getting a satellite image of the affected areas, teams would proceed to these far-flung areas. "Main reason of not reaching to these areas was lack of communication facilities as road network was damaged", he said.
He said that in Muzaffarabad there are two valleys of Neelum and Jhelum where less than half of the area was brought under rescue and rehabilitation cover so far.
Responding to a question about the estimates of the total loss in the Saturday's devastating earthquake, President said that the National Relief Commissioner would work on this subject and provide an account of the estimates of the losses in the quake. "Satellite image would not help ascertain the losses, as it is vertical and could not give true picture of the damages of a house", he added.
President visited the Chaklala Air base and expressed complete satisfaction over the relief operation. He said that Dhamiyal Air base and other air bases of the area would be used if think necessary for relief operation.