FOOD PROVISIONS SHOULD BE AIR DROPPED IN NEELAM VALLEY FIRST TO SECURE OPERATION OF RELIEF AND RESCUE WORK - ALTAF HUSSAIN

 

London-14 October 2005

 Mr Altaf Hussain, founder and leader of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) has appealed to the Relief Commissioner Major General Farooq Ahmed to arrange airdrops of food provision in Neelam Valley in Azad Kashmir on SOS basis. He further said that no help or relief teams have at all reached Neelam Valley as yet since 8 October 2005, the day earthquake struck Azad Kashmir and Pakistan.

 

Mr Altaf Hussain stated that today, on 14 October when a Team of Doctors and Paramedics of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) under the auspice of Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation (KKF) along with thousands of Rupees of medicines and medical equipments reached in Neelam Valley on Army helicopter, all the medicines and equipments were looted on the landing of the Army Helicopter, by the desperate people on the assumption that those were food provisions. As a result, the team had to return back on the same helicopter. It is therefore, essential that food provisions should be air dropped first before arrival of the teams of MQM doctors and rescue workers and begin their relief activities. Mr Hussain also appealed to provide security to the MQM team of doctors.