The Cabinet Committee on Fund Raising has mobilised Rs 8.4 billion from 239 business groups for earthquake relief fund, said Federal Minister for Privatisation and Investment Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.
Hafeez, who is also chairman of the Committee constituted by Prime Minister, said that as on October 28, Rs 6,618 million were raised for the President's Fund whereas Rs 140 million for other relief funds. He said the contributions in kind are worth Rs 1,703 million.
The minister also appealed to those who were in the process of extending assistance in cash or kind to keep in mind the approaching winter season in Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas.
"Imminent winter could cause immense loss to the lives of the affected people if they were not helped out well in time," Hafeez Shaikh said, adding innocent children and the old were looking towards us for immediate contributions, he added
Those who donated are Government of Japan Rs 1200 million, Chinese Companies Rs 22. 5 million, Ratra Leather Field Rs 15 million and 10 trucks of food, Manstano Pakistan, Lahore Rs 15 million, Investment Corporation of Pakistan Rs 5 million, National Investment Trust Rs 5 million and another Rs 5 million in kind, Bayer Rs 3.7 million and Rs 29.3 million worth life saving drugs, Jordan Shaheen Business Investment Group Rs 3 million, Fast National University Rs 2. 66 million, Tajima Industries of Japan, (C/o Al-Murtaza Machinery, Karachi) Rs 2.8 million, Akhtar Yousaf Leather Fashion Sialkot Rs 1.5 million and three trucks of goods, Kohinoor Weaving Mills Rs 1.5 million and Ahmad Shahzad HIC London Rs 1.05 million.
The privatisation ministry is working as an unofficial secretariat of the committee while Tahsin Khan Iqbal, secretary production and industries, is the co-ordinating secretary.
Minister for Commerce Humayun Akhtar Khan, Minister for Telecom and Information Technology Awais Laghari, Minister for Textile Mushtaq Ali Cheema, Minister for Industries Jehangir Khan Tareen, PM's Advisor for Finance Dr Salman Shah, Minister of State for Privatisation and Investment Umar Ahmad Ghumman, Hamid Yar Hiraj and Umar Ayub Khan are members of the committee.