By Our special correspondent
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has sent 50 tons of dates to Pakistan for distribution among the people hit by the October 2005 earthquake.
While collecting the cartons, Abdullah Al-Baraq, acting regional director of the Saudi Public Assistance for Pakistan Earthquake Victims (SPAPEV), told reporters that these packets would be distributed among the earthquake victims of the AJK and NWFP.
He said that King Abdullah had sent this gift as a goodwill gesture for the earthquake victims.
Giving details of the SPAPEV’s relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction work, Abdullah Al-Baraq said that the SPAPEV team has dispatched a large number of trucks loaded with relief goods worth millions of Saudi Riyals to quake-stricken areas for distribution among the survivors.
The official said that this work was continuing in the quake-hit areas on the directives of the custodian of two holy mosques and supervision of Interior Minister Prince Naif of Saudi Arabia and guidance of Dr. Saad Al-Harithy, adviser to the interior minister.
Besides relief work, the director said that the SPAPEV has also started reconstruction work, under which, a project of 4,000 pre-fabricated houses with the cost of $18.5 million was completed to settle the displaced families of Balakot falling in the Red Zone area.
Similarly, the SPAPEV is also completing another project of housing costing over $22 million for the earthquake victims of Bagh and Muzaffarabad, while a project of 20 schools after its completion with the cost of $1.5 million was already handed over to the Read Foundation running a chain of educational institutions in the AJK.
Abdullah Baraq said that seven basic health units were being constructed in different areas with the cost of $2 million. Work on five secondary schools is in progress and soon these schools would be handed over to the authorities of the area.