Forty-eight trucks of relief goods donated by Punjab government for the earthquake victims of Azad Kashmir and NWFP left here on Tuesday. Provincial Minister for Chief Minister's Inspection Team Colonel Shuja Khanzada (Retd) from Nasirbagh dispatched the relief goods.
Newly elected Lahore Nazim Mian Amir Mehmood, Senior Member Board of Revenue, Relief Commissioner Punjab and DCO Lahore were present on this occasion.
Out of these 42 trucks loaded with relief items and medicines, 12 trucks each were sent to Rawalakot, Bagh, Muzaffarabad and Mansehra. Besides, blankets and medicines, boxes containing sugar, dry milk, tea, mineral water, atta, rice, ghee and biscuits have been loaded on the trucks. Talking to journalists on this occasion Shuja Khanzada said the process of provision of relief items to calamity-stricken people by the Punjab government would continue till their rehabilitation. He said relief assistance of Rs 50 million each provided by Punjab Chief Minister to NWFP and Azad Kashmir had been received by the concerned authorities. He added Chief Minister had further directed that all possible resources should be made available to NWFP and Azad Kashmir governments according to their requirements for the relief and rehabilitation of earthquake victims.
The Minister further said Punjab government was setting up a tent city in Rawalpindi for the people who had been rendered shelterless by the earthquake while Punjab House Rawalpindi had been converted into base camp for relief activities. He said the government was also setting up camp offices in the affected districts of Azad Kashmir and NWFP for co-ordinating relief measures. He announced that Punjab government would provide, as many ambulances to Azad Kashmir as were required.