Fear prevails in quake zone as snowfall sets in

Upcoming cold weather is feared to play havoc with the devastating earthquake survivors in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Hazara Division of NWFP, if shelters were not provided to them in time.
Dr Muhammad Kamal, District Chief of Jamat-i-Islami, Rawalpindi, talking to reporters here on Monday, said the death of three children in Bagh district was a signal for the authorities to gear up work for provision of shelters to the survivors.
He expressed shock over callous attitude of the government functionaries towards the affected people and criticised the version of the Federal Information Minister, who stated that no one would die of cold weather.
"We must look into the matter on humanitarian grounds and do what we could do for the affected people ", he added.
He was of the view that tent villages were no solution of the miseries of the affected people as snowfall is starting. He said it was necessary to provide proper shelter to the affected people, because after snowfall tents could not save people from cold.The JI leader announced that the Al-Khidmat Foundation (AKF) would provide shelters to affected people and help them in construction of houses.
"The foundation is building a complete village, comprising 200 houses in Kingri village of Balakot," he added. He said that under an 'adoption a family', foundation had planned to provide financial assistance for rebuilding houses and starting small businesses, besides provision of cattle heads for better livelihood to the quake-affected people.
He said the AKF had set up 21 tent villages in AJK and Hazara Division in NWFP, besides setting up of three camps in Rawalpindi.
He said that people were being provided food, medical care and other basic facilities in these tent villages. Apart from this food for three times a day was being provided to 10,000 in Muzaffarabad by the foundation, he added.
Dr Kamal said that only 10 to 15 percent people got relief so far and remaining are still moving from pillar to post.
He said that JI leaders led by Syd Munawar Hassan had visited the quake-hit areas to assess the relief and rehabilitation operation.