Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said that the sufferings of the earthquake affectees could not be forgotten and the government would leave no stone unturned to provide them better facilities than before. He said that the government is making all out efforts to create better environment for the people to live a better life.
The Prime Minister said this after the inauguration of the newly built Artificial Limb Center (MPRC) established by ICRC here at Muzaffarabad today. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, President PML, MajorTahir Iqbal(Retd) Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas and Tariq Azim Khan Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting.
While appreciating the gesture by International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) for setting up a sate of the art Artificial Limb Centre at Muzaffrabad which will serve amputees and seriously injured people, the Prime Minister said that the people of Pakistan would always remember their contribution. Another centre being set up by ICRC at Abbotabad he said, would yet be another facility for the disabled people of the area.
While visiting various section of the artificial limb centre, the Prime Minister was move to see a handicapped person who started walking after twenty five years because of artificial legs he got from the Muzaffarabad Centre. He was also pleased to see an earthquake victims named Aziz walking on two artificial legs attached by the limb centre.
The Prime Minister approved Rs 75 thousand for each affected family to purchase land for construction of their houses. This would be in addition to the construction cost, which is being disbursed separately.
The Prime Minister said that the reconstruction and rehabilitation work was a huge challenge but not greater than the determination of our people to build back better. The contribution by the people of Pakistan, he said, was enormous nevertheless the assistance extended by the entire world was equally significant to cope with this un-imaginable task.
The Prime Minister along with the rest of the delegation took a tour of the city and reviewed the progress of various development projects. During the visit the Prime Minister said AJ&K has a great potential for tourism and once the reconstruction work is completed and new hotels would come up a lot of tourists would be visiting AJ&K particularly to see the Neelam Valley.-PR