The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry's (FPCCI) claim of providing assistance, in cash and kind, to the earthquake affected people, has been described as a "lie and bluff".
Hazara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI) President Jahan Zeb Khan, reacting to the FPCCI's announcement that he has been appointed co-ordinator by the apex trade body, said the claim was "false, fraudulent and mischievous."
Talking to the Business Recorder on phone from Hazara, he denied having been appointed as co-ordinator by the FPCCI. On the contrary, the affectees of Battal area, district Manshera in open jirga had unanimously resolved to appoint him as the co-ordinator.
The FPCCI President, he said, in-spite of his repeated request in writing had not provided a single penny worth tent, blanket or food, and added, whenever he was approached, his typical answer was: "Hindustan say aa rahaen haen."
Jahan Zeb Khan who is also an affectee said that though one month had passed but so far no help had been provided by the FPCCI. Five districts, which had been hit by the earthquake, had been totally ignored by the FPCCI, he added.
Jahan Zeb Khan regretted that despite the fact that he requested the President and Vice-Presidents of the FPCCI to visit the affected areas but nobody had paid any visit so far. They visited India and spent Rs 20 million but for earthquake relief they were unconcerned, he said.
He posed following questions for the FPCCI to reply: where is the FPCCI relief office in Hazara division, 0.1 million tent pieces, 0.1 million blankets, 2,000 truckloads of food, medicine worth millions of rupees and construction material?
He gave a long list of items distributed by him through his own efforts among the affected people. The FPCCI was thriving on TV channels to publicise things, which they were not doing, he said.
Jahan Zeb Khan said United States Ambassador Ryn C. Croker on his DO letter sent special World Bank (WB) team to the affected area and also asked him to undertake an assessment of the losses and aid requirements.
He said he had assessed that an amount of Rs 2.15 billion would be required for the relief operations. That assessment was sent to the WB, which was very much appreciated and discussed with the government of Pakistan. The funds were now being allocated for Hazara division district Mansehra, Abbotabad, Batgram, Kohistan and Haripur, he said.
Besides distributing Rs one million among the affectees, a Memorandum of Understanding had been signed with the Citizen Foundation, an NGO, for the construction of 351 houses free of cost for the affectees at an estimated cost of Rs 200 million, including community centre, school, mosque, hospital, underground power cable system and telephone system, etc, he said.