No Burial for Balakot

hamidm #60 #61
I had you all figured out a long time ago too, I simply took a look at Afghan war death tolls.

From Jang:

Quake toll leaps past 53,000, could reach 80,000 says PM

Excerpts: ... the number of lives at risk was in thousands. ``We’ve seen cases of diarrhoea, fever and respiratory infections appearing in recent days,`` he said. And the World Health Organisation said that as well as the risk of infectious disease among survivors huddling together in unsanitary conditions, there was a grave risk of hypothermia as winter snows begin settling on mountain peaks..

PMs interview with CNN, praises zeal to help shown by the people of Pakistan

Excerpts:

(Aziz) praised the devotion and zeal of the people to help their brothers in the need of hour and said the sense of caring and sharing with these victims had united the nation.

Besides shifting the injured to major hospitals of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, the prime minister said, the government had also established 17 field hospitals in various areas to provide immediate medical treatment at the spot.

Shaukat appreciated the efforts of Minister for Special Education Zubaida Jalal and asked her to be prepare for 400 children who were being discharged from the hospitals. The prime minister along with his wife Rukhsana Aziz first visited the Federal Government Services Hospital.

He was informed that 866 patients were under treatment in the Hospital which included 468 male and 398 female children. He was informed that 147 children were admitted to the hospital and out of which 90 are still there and getting treatment.

He and his wife announced Rs 1,000 and clothes to every child before being discharged from the hospital. Later, The prime minister along with his wife visited the National Institute of Special Education, where Minister for Special Education Zubaida Jalal received them.

Shaukat was informed that 50 children had been admitted to the Institute where volunteers including girl guides and boy scouts are helping them. Zubaida Jalal informed the prime minister that doctors and paramedical staff were available in the institute to provide any sort of treatment while meal was also being provided to the children and their relatives.

The prime minister and his wife distributed gifts of biscuits, chocolates and toys among the children on this occasion. The children and their relatives thanked the prime minister and the government for providing them best possible treatment in the Institute and for taking proper care.

Zubaida told the prime minister said the Ministry of Special Education had other centres, where more children would be accommodated. The prime minister also lauded the efforts of Pakistan Army for bringing these children to Islamabad by helicopters especially from the remote and inaccessible areas like Chakhoti, Bagh and other damaged areas.

Pakistanis helping Pakistanis: bbc news item


Excerpt:

....The people were hungry and he provided them with food. He was fulfilling his obligations as a Pakistani citizen and, for that matter, as a Muslim.

Pakistanis have a strong philanthropic culture. The rich (and even those that have little) often give to those who have less.

Re: # 65

sadna,

uh ?........ how does the afghan war figure in all this ? ......... my grandparents emigrated from afghanistan in the 1920`s and i have no sympathy for the incorrigible pathans who refuse to come indoors and live like civilized people ....... but i don`t have anything against the horrible hindoos other than the hate-filled few on chowk who have a knife to grind that they then hide under their arm and run around taking ram`s name in vain ............. i know a lot of indians who are decent human beings - hopefully the sample on chowk is not representative of a billion people ...........

forget the ill-bred indians on this website...they cant help themselves...a huge amount of work still needs to be done. the least any pakistani can do here is to find a way to get warm clothes to that part of the world:

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/

````My two daughters (6 and 4) are under the rubble near Madina Market. I can’t believe they are dead . . . I see them calling me for rescue when I try to sleep,`` Zakiya Akbar, 29, says with tear flowing down her cheeks.

She had twice visited the place once called her home but could not stand for a minute. ``I could not breathe due to smell. I want to close the open grave of my lovely daughters,`` she said asking this scribe to use his ``influence``.

....The children continue to the most vulnerable victims of the disaster. In the cold, rainy weather, they had the resilience to play and smile when done with crying for their parents, schools or toys.

``The most immediate need in my family is better winter clothing for my two sons like gloves, shoes jackets and caps, said Tanveer Hussain waiting for his turn in a medical camp...``

Re: # 4 kaka is right on the money and keeping it real.

Army Brig. General buried his only 9 year old son and returned
straight to work in Muzaffarabad. Army colonel lost all his family
and has been flying-in relief efforts since. And there are scores
of others like these two officers.

Hoodbhoy is using this disaster as a ploy to drum-up business.

The death toll could go up as high as 100,000.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051017/ap_on_re_as/pakistan_quake

Dr. Mobeen
>
> Please forward this email to all your friends,
> interns, residents and doctors and other medical
> staff.
>
> For all of you who may feel like you want to help
> the
> earthquake victims but do not trust that your money
> is
> going
>
> to be in the hands that need it the most there is a
> better option. A group of doctors and surgeons are
> leaving forPakistan tomorrow evening. They have
> already donated most of the supplies, tickets, and
> other cost not to mention their time for this noble
> cause. It has come to my attention that they still
> need a lot more money to make this mission a true
> success. The group’s leaders are personal friends of
> mine and I have no doubt that your donations will directlyaffect the
> real victims of this tragedy. The group leaders include:Dr. Farzad
> Najam - Cardiothoracic Surgeon from George Washington
> University Medical CenterDr. Atif Malik -Pain
> Specialist who trained at Harvard and now Chief of
> Pain at Shady Grove Hosp. MarylandDr. Azam Khan, a
> Surgeon from Arizona and Dr. Saeed Bajwa, a
> neurosurgeon from New York are going with this
> group.If you have any questions please call me at
> (619) 988-3094 and my e-mail address
> isakbarsial@hotmail.com.
>
> Send all donations to a non profit organization set
> up
> by Dr. Farzad Najam:
>
> Mission: Operation Heart Beat
> Tax ID is 541721435, Account number 2000021548976,
> Bank is Wachovia [ To make a wire transfer, please
> visit any Wachovia Financial Center to complete the
> required paperwork. Or, you can call 800-WACHOVIA
> (922-4684) ]
>
> Best RgardsAkbar Sial1732 Vakas DriveEl Cajon CA
> 92019
>
> We are ready to deploy to Pakistan tomorrow.
> Unfortunately because of red tape we could not leave
> today. We are not discouraged especially since so
> many
> of our friends have called and supported our mission
> through various efforts. I am impressed with the
> level
> of commitment we have been blessed with. I hope we
> can
> reach PATIKA KARKA or areas like that where we can
> make a real difference. I know there are all sorts
> of
> rumors on what is going on there but we know from
> our
> ground contacts there that there will be work for
> the
> next several months especially since there is no infrastructure to
> support a real rescue effort. One of
> the physicians traveling with us is from the
> epicenter
> and has lost many family members including their
> children. The whole situation in Pakistan is a mess
> but we hope to provide some relief though our
> mission.
> We have a lot of specialized equipment, generators,
> tents, but there will be more that will be needed as
> we set up for others to take our post once we
> return.
> Our plan is to use the money given to our
> organization
> for medical support. This will be closely guarded by
> us. We will also have a reporter from voice of
> America
> with us to cover the mission.
>
> We are planning on leaving 100,000 worth of supplies
> in Pakistan with physicians who come from America or
> abroad. Our aim is to bypass the bureaucratic mess
> and
> deliver aid directly to those in need. Thank you for forwarding our
> information. We will have a lot of photos and media coverage. Once I
> know where it will be transmitted I will let you know. Thanks for your
> support.
>
> Allah-Hafiz
>
> Atif
>
> Our team:
>
> 1. Farzad Najam, MD Cardiothoracic Surgery
>
> 2. Imran-ul-Haq, MD General and Trauma Surgery
>
> 3. Khalid Athar, MD Anesthesiology
>
> 4. Josh Devairakkam, RN OR Nursing
>
> 5. Janet Lauer, NP
>
> 6. Salim Aziz, MD Cardiothoracic Surgery
>
> 7. Robyn Smith, RN ICU Nursing
>
> 8. Daniel Lee, Nursing Tech
>
> 9. Sikander Hayat, MD Internal Medicine
>
> 10.Haroon Rashid, MD Cardiology and Internal
> Medicine
>
> 11. Debra Brosnihan, RN ICU nursing
>
> 12. Maryam Fooladi, RN ICU Nursing
>
> 13. Abdul Munim, MD Primary care and pediatrics
>
> 14. Sheikh Abdul Hai, MD General and Trauma Surgery
>
> 15. Jim Eck, Perfusion
>
> 16. Nauman Jahangir, Cardiothoracic Surgery
>
> 17. Gloria Benons, RN ICU nursing
>
> 18. Dr. Azam, General Surgery
>
> 19. Dr. Uzma Azam, Peds/Med
>
> 20. Dr. Muhammad Farooq, Critical Care
>
> 21. Dr. Gohar Abbasi, IM
> Atif B. Malik, MDChief of Pain MedicineDepartment of AnesthesiaShady
> Grove Adventist Hospital9901 Medical Center DriveRockville, MD
> 20850301-357-0933 cell888-403-4880 pager/fax240-453-9182
> work240-453-9189 fax

re:#69 by faisaluno
The ``ill bred Indians`` as u call them, are sending some more supplies of relief to ``The land of Impure``.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2005 10 17 story_17-10-2005_pg7_44

(India to send third quake aid consignment

NEW DELHI: India will send its third consignment of relief material for earthquake victims in Pakistan by train on Monday morning, the Foreign Ministry said.

In a statement on Sunday, it said that 170 tonnes of relief materials will be sent, including 100 tonnes of fortified biscuits. The rest of the aid comprises medicines, tents and blankets.

The first consignment of relief material was sent by air on October 10 and the second by train four days later.

The earthquake killed 39,422 people and injured 65,038 others in Pakistan, while 1,300 people died in Indian Kashmir in last Saturday’s disaster. afp)
Sridhar
P.S: And this (Pak) is the nation that refuses to give transit facilities for Indian goods to Afghanistan so the biscuits sent from India for Afghan kids takes 7 days more (via Iran) and cost 2 million dollar more per annum. Some country. Some people.

hamidm: thanks for forwarding the email. it is indeed heartwarmng to see how pakistanis have responded to this terrible tragedy. the months and years ahead will be difficult indeed for our brothers and sisters in the affected areas. this team of 20 medical personnel will no doubt bring comfort to many and save many lives.

here is an update Ijaz gul provided on unplugged that i think may be of interest here as well.

Started by ijaz_gul on October 16, 2005 7:37pm PT

October 16, 2005

Today I finished my tour of the quack hit areas. A line of mountains from Oghi (Manshera) to Balakot, North of Muzaffarabad up to Bagh has slipped at various places. It appears that the shock wave was most intense on this line and entire villages have been buried in dry mud/stone slides. This line of ridges is most distinct by white cuttings all along the fault line. Two mountain ranges near Oghi have collapsed and fuse, burying the entire valley.

Comparatively, Muzaffarabad has suffered less damage. About 40% buildings are still standing, half of them with serious cracks. Wherever the structural engineering has been good, buildings even on the immediate fault are left unscathed, like the Srinagar bus terminal, Special Communication Organization’s building and the Caltex Petrol pump. Much of the destruction in Muzaffarabad is due to faulty structural engineering. At places private three story buildings stand unharmed amidst total destruction.

Balakot presents a scenario of a nuclear winter. Not a house is left standing. Unlike Muzafarabad which was a major military cantonment and was reached immediately, Balakot is remote on the Karakoram Highway and could only be reached by a small maintenance crew of the Frontier Works Organization. It has also attracted fewer VIPs and rescue parties, though it has suffered the most.

Bagh has suffered badly and flattened like Balakot. The army there has suffered very high casualties. Just yesterday, a rescue helicopter crashed due to bad weather.

Down country, the frenzy to reach out to the destruction zones is manifested by a long line of loaded trucks and volunteers towards Muzaffarabad. It is not so intense in case of Balakot. However, this frenzy and zeal is not compensated by the locals, who sit on the roadsides, keep watching and looking forward to aid. Invariably I saw foreigners particularly from Malaysia, Singapore and Holland digging into rubble along with volunteers from down country and soldiers. I never saw a single local trying to assist in relief work. The local civil administration appears to be on leave. The administration of the city by default has landed in the hands of the army and rangers. There have been announcements in the city calling elected representatives back to duty and organize relief efforts in their constituencies. On the flip side, I saw a colonel of the army organizing relief efforts. I was told that he lost two children in the disaster. Moreover, locals have done nothing to repair minor damages to their houses. Perhaps it has something to do with the compensation claims.

Muzaffarabad is overflowing with aid and congested. The Russian, Dutch, German and Iranian hospitals have moved up north and the US and German cargo choppers are doing a splendid job.

The weather is chilly and distant mountains have already received heavy snowfalls. The scale of misery is likely to aggravate. According to doctors in PIMS, 15% patients have to get their limbs amputated due to gangrene.

Cheerios

Latest on Yahoo - Pakistan said it was willing to accept an offer from rival India to send helicopters for earthquake relief operations, but without Indian pilots.

So much mistrust and hate.

India should just donate food, blankets, tents, medicines and other necessities for common folks and wish them well.

Let the royal decision makers get white, chinese and arab pilots whom they trust.

hamidm2#68
For your supposed ignorance about the Afghan war(`79-`01), kindly do the requisite reading yourself. There is no point in ranting and raving because Indians don`t take Pakistani ISPR talking points to be the god`s gospel that Pakistanis consider them. Pakistani Army is not world renowned for considering the preservation of civilian lives as a high priority.

However, as I posted on the other thread, even if they might have fallen short on rescue efforts but they are prob. doing the relief stage as well as any other disciplined army would do with international and Pakistani civilian efforts supplementing them.

Though currently it still looks like a race against time and onset of winter with 2-3 million people homeless and out in the open. It could well be that evacuation of such people out of affected areas is their best preservation during the coming winter and I can`t help suspecting that the relief effort is still falling short of resources(helicopters) for such evacuation.

Army ‘spent first days rebuilding border defences’

Daily Times Monitor

LAHORE: Officials linked to the Pakistan Army have admitted that some units paid more attention to restoring frontline defences against India after the October 8 earthquake than to rescuing trapped civilians, The Telegraph reported on Sunday.

“With thousands of soldiers stationed close to the disputed border in the Kashmir region – 450 of whom were themselves killed by the quake – civilians who survived the tremor are increasingly angry at the slow response by the army to their plight,” it added.

“Although Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf apologised on television for the delay in helping the worst-affected areas, his remarks have done little to deflect the criticism,” it reported.

The Telegraph quoted a Muzaffarabad resident as saying that they were not only mourning the death of their people, they were also mourning the death of their relationship with the government.

“Ismail Mir, a resident of Bagh, said that when President Musharraf visited the stricken town he went only to the military garrison, where six soldiers had been killed, and did not tour the civilian areas where dozens had died. ‘We tried to reach him, but army officials would not allow us to meet him,’ he said. ‘The major in charge of security told guards to shoot on sight if we tried to enter the garrison,’” it reported.

“Resentment will be increased by the admission of several officials that army units on the Line of Control – the heavily armed border between both Kashmirs – focused on rebuilding their defences rather than helping in nearby villages,” The Telegraph added.

It quoted an insider as saying that although the government knew that India would not attack the country, in the first few days they used every resource to restore its defence line because they never wanted to leave it vulnerable.

“Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan, military spokesman, rejected the criticisms, saying: ‘The people are traumatised and this is all a reaction to the trauma,’” it added.

“However, the apparent failure to respond swiftly to civilian pleas for help is likely to harm the Musharraf government – a fact which will alarm the West, where it is regarded as a crucial ally in the war on terrorism,” it reported.

re:#77 by arjun_m
In response to the article posted by arjun_m, all i have to say is why does Paki dictator not sign a treaty with India (not that he needs one) where both nations would agree not to attack each other during times of calamities like this one! How much lower can we fall?
But then we are talking about the Paki Army. It is an elitist institution that first and foremost fends for itself. This is what it did during this Quake. It made sure that its interests were not hurt and then looked around to see what else could be done. Saving lives was not the top priority (remember this army massacred more than a million of its own people during the 71 war). If they are seen doing it now, it is as an image building exercise and follows pressures from International lenders and nations. Paki dictator does not have to go back to his people for votes, does he?
Sridhar

Terrorist groups seem to have no trouble in dispensing aid...

Wonder what the pakis have to say about these supposedly banned groups...looks like they already had a major presence all over Pakistan...

Extremists Fill Aid Chasm After Quake
Group Banned In Pakistan Dispenses Relief

By John Lancaster and Kamran Khan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, October 16, 2005; A19

MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan, Oct. 15 -- The army was slow to respond, and international aid agencies are in some ways just getting started. But here amid the rubble and the rain at the heart of Pakistan`s earthquake zone, the zealous foot soldiers of Jamaat ul-Dawa, one of the country`s most prominent Islamic extremist groups, are very much in evidence.

On a sloping muddy field near the rushing Neelum River, the group has established a large field hospital complete with X-ray equipment, dental department, makeshift operating theater, and even a tent for visiting journalists. Dispensaries are piled high with donated stocks of antibiotics, painkillers and other medical supplies.

``Even the army people have come over here to get first aid,`` said Mohammed Ayub, a long-bearded urologist from Lahore who is volunteering at the field hospital. ``The casualties and destruction are so much that they are unable to cope.``

Jamaat ul-Dawa is no ordinary charity. Founded in 1989 under a different name, it is the parent organization of Lashkar-i-Taiba, one of the largest and best-trained groups fighting Indian forces in the disputed Himalayan province of Kashmir. Lashkar-i-Taiba has been linked by U.S. authorities to al Qaeda and in 2002 was banned by Pakistan`s government as a terrorist organization.

Jamaat ul-Dawa is one of several hard-line Islamic groups that have assumed a prominent role in relief operations following the devastating Oct. 8 earthquake in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir and adjacent areas.

Other groups with a visible presence on Saturday in Muzaffarabad, the largest town in the area, were the charitable wing of Jamiat-i-Islami, an Islamic political party with ideological links to the Palestinian militant group Hamas; and the Al-Rasheed Trust, a Karachi-based charity whose U.S. assets were frozen by the Bush administration in 2003 on grounds that it channeled funds to al Qaeda. The group has denied the charge and says it is focused purely on social welfare.

The groups` effective and visible relief work, analysts say, has bolstered their prestige, possibly at the expense of Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan`s president, and the army, whose initial response was widely criticized as slow and disorganized.

``Definitely they will gain,`` Ershad Mahmud, an analyst on Kashmir at the Institute for Policy Studies in Islamabad, said of Jamaat ul-Dawa. ``They have diverted their whole network toward the relief operation.``

Pakistani officials say the army has performed admirably given its own devastating losses in the quake, which killed about 450 soldiers. But in an interview Saturday, Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao acknowledged the vital role of Jamaat ul-Dawa and other such groups, calling them ``the lifeline of our rescue and relief work.``

Jamaat ul-Dawa, he added, ``is only involved in extensive charity work, and their footprint now covers almost the entire quake-affected zone in the country.`` Pakistan placed Jamaat ul-Dawa on its ``terrorism watch list`` in late 2003.

#78 by rsridhar on October 17, 2005 9:54am PT


Please don`t waste your time with the pakis feigning moral outrage...They`re calling Indians vultures when it was paki newspapers saying Katrina was divine retribution for the US war in Iraq...

Now the same paper is criticizing India for allowing Paki helicopters to fly in the no fly zone ...without a single word on how Pakiland refused to accept Indian and Israel helicopters for rescuing it`s civilians....

If self-pity is the game, Pakiland is the Chicago Bulls...