Military fails to engage in earthquake zone
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While the October earthquake brought death and misery, it has raised hopes and posed questions as well. Hopes are for a prosperous, progressive Pakistan, given the overwhelming response by the nation, especially the young brigade which surprisingly volunteered day and night.
The questions concern the working of civil and military machinery responsible for relief operations. In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, the reasons given by the Army for
The Pakistan Army does have presence in Pakistan-controlled Kashmiri capital Muzaffarabad for relief operations, busy in clearing roads after landslides. But men in uniform are absent where they are needed most in villages up in the treacherous mountains. Not having suitable place to land helicopters seems to be a genuine problem, leaving the Army with only option of dispatching relief items through foot soldiers. But the overall lack of response by the military is incomprehensible, given that it has been over a month since the quake jolted the northern parts of the country, killing over 73,000 souls. "Open up! Don't treat us like this!", media reports quoted a group of men telling soldiers manning the gate of an Army camp on Oct 29 in Chakothi where supplies are dropped off by helicopter. The men, part of a crowd of several hundred outside the camp gates, were quoted as saying they were waiting for tents and food. "We've been waiting for two days. They treat us like dogs," one man said. Presence of NATO troops implies a shortage of manpower but is this really the case? Does Pakistan need its paramilitary Rangers to maintain law and order in southern port
Instead, quake survivors as young as 12 years old carry 15 kilogrammes of supplies from Muzaffarabad to their villages as far as 50 kilometres away, where foreign and local charitable organizations are giving solace to the survivors. The Army remains in Muzaffarabad. To add salt to wounds, the government spreads message through propaganda machinery that "appropriate action" is being taken. Giving an insight on the present scenario, Mohammad Asif, an eyewitness to the devastation tells about the horrifying situation in his small hamlet Syedpur some 30
Like many remote villages in the rugged mountains, Syedpur has also seen little or no aid since the October 8 quake, apart from relief goods delivered by
Not only locals are depriving the villagers of tents and relief items, Asif alleged that government officials in Gojra, near Neelum River, are also involved in favouring high and mighty, and ignoring common villagers. Officials in Gojra, which is sort of base for relief efforts in Muzaffarabad, are providing tents but only to those who are well-off and influential, the 30-year-old said. New York-based human rights watchdog, Human Rights Watch, has also denounced government officials for storing tents and supplies instead of providing them to survivors. Owing to anarchy, discrimination and inappropriate distribution of the relief goods in Syedpur, only three tents are available while hundreds brave cold weather and rains. More than 30 days have passed after the quake, yet there are no signs of military on foot. People, sick and injured, bring supplies on self-help basis from Muzaffarabad to Syedpur, reachable from Muzaffarabad after a six to seven-hour laborious journey by foot. Now military helicopters come after three or four days and dont land because there is hardly any even surface there and to avoid unruly mob of survivors dying to get some relief, said Asif who lost some two uncles, an aunt, a nephew and two cousins apart from scores of other relatives, while his 16 family members are waiting for shelter or to be airlifted. Asif, who works as a driver in Karachi had left for Syedpur soon after the earthquake only to find his parents, wife, two children, two brothers, sisters-in-law and their five kids alive but badly injured. Lack of medical facilities is also taking its toll as Asifs sister-in-law Safina could lose her leg because of gangrene. Paucity of funds for immediate emergency relief is a bottleneck but inaction on the part of Pakistani military is something which has no justification. Action in the name of humanity is needed or it will be too late. Links: OneWorld Pakistan Guide OneWorld South Asia |
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