Pakistan has so far spent over one billion rupee for the tsunami relief operation, additional secretary cabinet division Syed Yassin Ahmad said on Thursday. Talking to PTV he said, Pakistan joined the operation within 24 hours of the disaster by dispatching two C-130 transport planes fully loaded with relief goods, tents, medicines and pulses to Sri Lanka and Indonesia. He said eight C-130 planes have already been sent to the affected areas while four more will be leaving shortly.
Federal cabinet and government employees have donated one day's salary for the tsunami victims. Provincial governments have been directed to follow suit. All NGOs and philanthropists have been mobilised to join the relief operation, he added.
He urged the people to donate non-perishable, pre-cooked food items, medicines, antibiotics, anti malaria, tablets, rice and pulses for the affected people. Replying to a question he said it may take about a decade to fully rehabilitate the tsunami victims.