While addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, JI Deputy Secretary General, Syed Munawar Hassan proposed constitution of relief committee comprising representatives from all the political parties to monitor relief and rehabilitation activities in quake-hit areas.
He claimed that as a result of earthquake, the death toll has increased to 200,000, apart from injuring 1.5 million people and leaving 5 million people homeless. The devastating earthquake also completely destroyed the roads and building infrastructure including school and hospital buildings while telecommunication system has also collapsed, he added.
He regretted that the world community has not duly responded over the worst tragedy. Moreover, the donors' conference held under the auspices of United Nation on October 26 also failed to produce desired results. 'We should not attach much hopes with the donors conference to be held on 18th and 19th November in Islamabad' he maintained.
Lacking trust in the present government, could be one of the reasons for insufficient supply of relief goods because the Transparency International ranked Pakistan at number 10 among the most corrupt countries of the world. Therefore, the rulers must take the entire nation into confidence so that the public could support the earthquake affectees with due enthusiasm, he added. He demanded of the President to summon joint session of the Parliament so that relief activities could be discussed in detail.
Lamenting he said the MQM is a 'fascist party' and takes fascism and torture where it goes and its activists have injured our five workers engaged in relief activities in the earthquake area. He also demanded of the PML (Q) president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain to take note of the incident so that the culprits could be taken to task.
He also criticised the government for inviting Nato and the US forces for relief activities and said the government must make public the pact under which these forces were called. Under which authorities, these forces are working and for how long they would remain in Pakistan, he maintained. The roads to Azad Kashmir lead via Kahuta which is a strategic location and we must be conscious and careful about activities of Nato and the US forces because the US does not keep good track record in Afghanistan and Iraq while it is still threatening Syria. He also demanded of the government to withdraw army troops from Wana and Waziristan and depute them in earthquake areas.
Munawar further said the people were wholeheartedly contributing for the help of their brethren. He claimed that more than 8,500 JI workers are engaged in relief activities.
To a question, he said, 'we are in contact with all the political parties and may chalk out a unanimous plan to tackle the present situation'.