Musharraf launches fresh appeal for global help

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday made a fresh call on the world community to help his quake-devastated country in the "most difficult" task of reconstruction and rehabilitation.   

In a nationwide broadcast, Musharraf spelled out plans to rehabilitate children who have become orphans, women who have become widows and mountain dwellers who lost their homes and businesses. The address to the nation was his second since the October 8 quake which killed about 41,000 people, injured over 67,000 and left more than three million homeless in northern regions and PoK.   

According to initial government estimates, it will take some five billion dollars to rebuild destroyed public and private infrastructure. So far Pakistan has received international pledges to the tune of 610 million dollars while domestic donations stood at about four billion rupees (about 660,000 dollars), Musharraf said.    

While expressing gratitude for the donations Pakistan has received from 32 countries, he said: "I think the amount (needed) is going to far exceed this and is going to be beyond the reach of Pakistan government. Therefore, I appeal to all donors, any donors from the world, I appeal to you to donate more to the President's Relief Fund."   

Musharraf said reconstruction and rehabilitation would be "the most difficult and long-term phase which will take months and even years". The government needed to rebuild state buildings, schools, hospitals, colleges, police stations and houses which have collapsed, he said.

"We will Inshallah (God willing) bring technologies by which we could construct houses quickly." The government also wants to set up rehabilitation centers for children who have become orphans and those whose parents have not been traced, he said.   

The President also added that trauma centres would have to be set up as "many people have been traumatised by the calamity and are suffering from psychological and psychiatric problems".