Pakistani Government's apathy towards the quake victims

Pakistani Government's apathy towards the quake victims

Mumtaz Khan
Vice Chairman IKA

As first anniversary of earthquake victims was celebrated, and Mushraf and Aziz chose to spend day of 8th October at Muzafarabad to show the solidarity with earthquake victims or to politicize the occasion as Kashmir has been political weapon on all occasions for Pakistani leaders. The worst disaster that has struck this region and vanished a generation of Kashmiri’s where according the modest estimate only 17,000 children had died. While other casualties were more than double only in Azad Kashmir and many buried under the rubbles went unaccounted. People have not overcome the bitter memories of those days yet when helpless quake victims were crying under the rubbles and debris for rescue while thousands of military deployed in the areas were watching the scene and telling the people they didn’t have orders to rescue them. Thousands died because of delays in rescue while millions displaced, orphaned and injured had hardly found the shelter to hide themselves during the sever cold weather. World media and community’s prompt response and attention has helped to save vulnerable lives from dying but wicked and vicious circle of looters, robbers, kidnappers and corrupt military officials have taken the full benefit of the panic situation and people’s helplessness. World community donated generously but Pakistan military officials replaced those relief items quickly with old ones to keep their supplies abundant while earthquake victims ended up with military’s worn out items to keep their breath running.

The earthquake disaster put Pakistan ’s longstanding claims of paining for Kashmiri’s freedom into test when thousands of deployed Pakistan army in Kashmir meant to secure the borders and people from foreign aggression became mute spectator of watching dying Kashmiri’s in front of their eyes. people question that how this army can save us from foreign aggression or can be protector or custodian of our freedom while during this worst movement of disaster when world community have reached overnight but these military men those are virtually controlling and running entire political show in Azad Kashmir didn’t feel any pain. Despite seeing dying children with their school bags under heavy rubbles those cries and open eyes were begging to rescue their lives from protectors but those voices went unheeded. People with bare hands and frail bodies continued to rescue the trapped people but failed to defeat the nature’s heavy handedness while military men added their miseries when denied people to treat injured in the hospitals unless their soldiers are treated and looked after.

Today after completion of one year, memories have not died down but people certainly question that what Pakistan military rulers have done for the victims of earthquake as millions displaced still waiting under the worn out tents. There is hardly any sign of any progress on the ground that government has been made. What should have been government priorities, buying F16 of $6 billion, buying Aawcs from Sweden firm soon after the earthquake of over $2 billion, constructing $5 billion GHQ for generals, whose fortunes have speeded across the world, playing cat and Mouse game on Hudood ordinance or the rehabilitating and reconstructing the devastated people and Area? President spends weeks and weeks abroad to soften his image that only cost in last two years of his foreign trips about RS760 million alone. In last one year time he traveled almost more than 10 countries but he didn’t find time to visit to Muzafarabad or Balakot to see how progress on the ground has been made, how victims are coping with the there. But it appears that real purpose had been served as money had been pledged and collected from abroad. So Mushraf found no utility of going to Muzaffarabad before October 8, when he sees political reason not compassion for them. Pakistan government could hardly utter single word about the quake victims and affectees before Oct 8th and on that day government instead of showing any serious interest in protecting lives of displaced still are under the tents but began complaining about the funds. According to Pakistan daily times only military has drawn billions from defense ministry, President and Prime Minister Funds alone for the manpower and machinery was used during the earthquake relief operation. Was that important to pay them first or to provide shelter to the shelter less people first? How long those earthquake survivors have to wait, how many more they want them to die waiting under the worn out tents? Which other tragedy they are waiting to hit these survivors? Where billions of dollars of aid and donations have gone and who is the responsible for this government’s apathy toward this disaster stricken area and people. After one year people couldn’t find the shelter, small amount is handed out to people to shut their mouths while international NGOs and organizations are forced to close down their operations, those were only source for helping the survivors, providing health and education facilities. Because in their presence day by day Pakistan ’s longstanding claims of free Kashmir were unfolding to the international community. This closed area which was unknown to the outside world for half of century under the name of free Kashmir and world remained concerned and appalled over the Indian administered Kashmir, which in Pakistan parley is “occupied Kashmir” was unaware of ground realities of this free Kashmir; which is run by the three Pakistani Bureaucrats, Chief secretary, IG Police, Finance secretary, while all aspects of its political life is virtually controlled by real master GOC Muree and ISI officials and Minister for Kashmir affairs.

The world community was shocked to learn about this free Kashmir as they entered to Area and exposed to the pathetic conditions and stiff control of military and ISI that surrounded and rein the Area for over half century . This free Kashmir has widely been ascribed as the base camp of Azadi-freedom, by its proxy Kashmiri rulers, proxy militants and their mentors Pakistan military regimes have chosen once again October 8th, to politicize the occasion not to offer any real help to the survivors when they aired their rhetoric that Pak Fauj is prepared to defend the country, the fauj which couldn’t save the trapped victims. Mushraf didn’t bother to outline if his government had any plan regarding the rehabilitation of survivors. Irony is that geological reports about the Area have not been made public yet and keeping people in dark about the risk zones that have been identified by seismic experts because they wish not to have any long term policy for political reasons.
Irony is that as the day of October 8, has descended next day everythings appeared to be normal in the media to the government circles to the opposition parties as nothing has happened and they got engaged into the old political bickering and accusations to draw the political mileage against each other, while earthquake became forgotten issue. Over $6 billion aid was collected by the Pakistani officials, but military regime has created a white elephant named “ERRA” Authority for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction for earthquake, which is predominantly controlled and run by the military officials, who have swallowed the most of aid and relief items in the name of distributing cash to the quake victims. But despite the growing complaints about ERRA’s corruption and lack of interest that have forced affectees to continue protest over their apathy and corruption but Mushraf pays lip service to all these complaints. Even Mushraf League’s head Choudhry Shujat had to air his disappointment against ERRA failures and corruptions, and he had to say that he would join the protest against ERRA if Mushraf didn’t replace ERRA with civilians. The government appears to be busier in its domestic political manipulation and to save his power than worrying about the vulnerable lives still shelterless waiting under the worn out tents.