Islamabad, 27 August 2010: President Asif Ali Zardari today appreciating the international community for their support to meet challenge of the “slow motion Tsunami” has called for fast pace disbursement of the pledged funds so that the appropriate strategy for rehabilitation of the affectees could be pursued at the earliest.

 

He said this while his meeting with representatives of donor organizations and the Ambassadors of various countries at Aiwan-e-Sadr today.

 

The ambassadors present during the meeting included among other Ms. Anne W. Patterson (US), Mr. Jan de Kok (EU), Dr. Michael Koch (Germany), Mr. Hans Christian (Belgium), Mr. Ishak Latuconsina (Indonesia), Mr. Mustafa Babur Hizlan (Turkey), Mr. Chihiro Atsumi (Japan), Mr. Liu Jian (China), Dr. Perter Tibber, Deputy High Commissioner UK, Mr. Masha Allah Shakeri (Iran), envoys of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Canada and the representatives of donors agencies including UNOCHA, UNDP, WFO, World Bank etc.

 

Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Information Minister Mr. Qamar Zaman Kaira, Minister for Water & Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Dr. Babar Awan, Interior Minister Senator A. Rehman Malik, Mr. M. Salman Faruqui, Secretary General to the President, Foreign Secretary Mr. Salman Bashir and Spokesperson to the President Mr. Farhatullah Babar were also present besides other senior officials.

 

Te President said that the assistance by the international community was a short term measure to take control of the prevailing situation however the long-term remedy to compensate such stupendous loss consisted of allowing enhanced market access for Pak products, according preferential trade facilities, creating ROZs and more investments in the country. He said that the democratic Government has always preferred trade over temporary aid packages to recuperate the losses caused initially by war against militancy and now the devastating floods.

 

The President said the initial estimates of losses on account of unprecedented floods could be much higher then the reported. He said that no Government alone can handle such a gigantic task of relief and rehabilitation unless its efforts are complemented by the international community.

 

The President said that the Government was strictly following austerity drive and other measures besides cutting short development and current expenditures to generate and divert available resources for the flood affected people.

 

He said that that the democratic government fully believes in transparency and accountability in the utilization of funds for judicious use of international donations on one hand and to ensure that each and every penny is spent for the relief and rehabilitation of the deserving persons.

 

The President also invited the foreign dignitaries to personally visit various flood affected areas and urged them to use their influences in sensitising their governments and their people about the magnitude of the devastation.

 

The President said Pakistani nation has a history of facing challenges and succeed. He expressed the hope that this time too the nation would overcome the challenge with courage and fortitude as it did during 2005 earthquake.

 

The participants put forth various suggestions and observations regarding relief and rehabilitation efforts for the flood affected victims and to prepare for any such challenges in the future.