PAKISTAN: On the eve of quake anniversary, survivors stage anti-corruption protest in Islamabad while Kashmiris resolve to rebuild their devastated region

Hundreds of survivors of last year's earthquake in Pakistan staged an anti-graft protest outside parliament on Saturday (October 7), accusing officials in charge of reconstruction of corruption. Waving placards reading "stop taking bribes", "spend the winter with us," and "build our homes before snowfall", the demonstrators marched from parliament in Islamabad to the office of the state Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA). The protest comes a day before the first anniversary of the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 73,000 people and left about 3.5 million homeless in Pakistani Kashmir and parts of the North West Frontier Province. A further 1,500 died in Indian Kashmir. "The policies that ERRA has devised are all anti-people because they've not even been taken into consideration. Their real issues have not even been taken into consideration. They've not been consulted in the development of their policies. And that is why these people have come here. Many of them are victims of extreme corruption by the officials who've got the responsibility to facilitate the reconstruction process," said Bushra Gohar, Director of the ActionAid Earthquake Programme. A month after the disaster, international donors pledged $6.5 billion for Pakistan to help it through the relief, recovery and reconstruction phases of the crisis but many protesters said they were not receiving enough assistance. International aid agency Oxfam in a report this week also said the progress of recovery was patchy and administrative bottlenecks and corruption had compounded problems for victims. Prime Minister Shaukt Aziz, however, defended the government's efforts. "The government, as you know, has disbursed a lot of money. About thirty billion rupees, which is half a billion dollars for housing and another half a billion dollars in compensation for those who died, or were injured, or are getting income support. So total a billion dollars have so far been disbursed for relief. This is in addition for the infrastructure spending we have undertaken. Every government office, every school, every medical facility are all functioning," Aziz said. Meanwhile survivors in Pakistani Kashmir held a rally to express their resolve to rebuild their devastated towns. Over 2,000 people marched through the streets of Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistani Kashmir, chanting: "Long live Azad (Pakistani) Kashmir." "O Allah, protect us from further hardships," read another banner. "Not only the children of Azad Kashmir, not only the elders of Azad Kashmir, but every man and woman of Azad Kashmir has resolved that this devastated Azad Kashmir will be turned into a modern, progressive Azad Kashmir. This message has to be given to the world. We hereby give this message to the world," Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, the prime minister of the region, said at the rally. Earlier, hundreds of students -- boys and girls -- marched to pay tribute to their colleagues who lost their lives in the earthquake. President Pervez Musharraf on Thursday (October 5) dismissed the criticism of ERRA and said reconstruction activities were going well. He also described Oxfam's assessment that at least 1.8 million people living in makeshift shelters and tents were at risk from the Himalayan winter as grossly exaggerated. He said only 35,000 people living in tents would be facing winter under canvas.

ITN Source | October 8, 2006

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