Quake: Musharraf defends govt

2005-10-27 15:27

London - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on Thursday defended his government's response to the October 8 earthquake, which left 54 000 dead.

The temblor was the worst natural disaster in the country's history, but general Musharraf remained resolute about his handling of the crisis.

Musharraf had faced criticism that the official response had been too slow, but said his government had "done a good, if not a very good job".

New challenge

Musharraf said: "We confront a problem and we try to solve it and when we are getting near a solution, another problem arises and we again confront that. So it's in and out of the frying pan.

"It's a new challenge. If you fail a challenge, it goes directly against you, but if we deliver, I'm sure it will have a very positive effect on me and on the government."

According to the United Nations, nearly three weeks after the quake left tens of thousands dead and 77 000 injured, 700&nbp000 people had received food, but another 1.6 million were in need of sustenance.

About 120 000 tents had been delivered while 200 000 more were on their way for up to 3.3 million homeless.

Earthquake survivors

The UN begged the world on Thursday for a dramatic effort on a par with the 1948-49 Berlin airlift to save earthquake survivors.

However, Musharraf insisted he would not bend on his refusal to allow helicopter pilots from rival neighbour, India, to fly relief sorties into the Pakistani part of disputed Kashmir, where the quake struck.

Musharraf said: "The world should understand that we can't allow Indian soldiers to operate in (Pakistani) Kashmir.

"Our whole defence system is there, our whole military is there.Back to the job in hand, and, as I have said, we'll succeed."

Race to help survivors

Musharraf, who seized power in a bloodless coup six years ago, admitted that militant Islamist groups were stepping into the administrative vacuum by providing assistance and relief.

He said that Al-Rasheed Trust and Jamaat-ud-Dawa were on a "watch-list" and the government "must beat them to it" in the race to help survivors.

Aides said Musharraf was working on into the early hours of the morning and the newspaper said he looked "far from relaxed".

Musharraf revealed that his first response when the earthquake struck was to rush upstairs to help his mother.

"She walks slowly and by the time I had got her to the door, the earthquake was over."

- AFP