Army will retaliate if relief goods are looted: ISPR
DG says no one would be allowed to loot caravans carrying relief goods.
RAWALPINDI (Online) - Director General ISPR Maj. Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa has said that no one would be allowed to loot caravans carrying relief goods for earthquake affectees and army has right to defend itself in case of disruption rescue operation.
“Any attack from the terrorists on relief and rescue operation conducted by us, would be treated as assault against army”, General added.
He was briefing the journalists at his office on Monday. He said that Pak Army is only doing rescue and relief operation in the calamity hit Baluchistan.
He said that the earthquake played havoc in Awaran district on large scale where some 100,000 people were dislodged out of which 476 person were dead and 435 were injured. Similarly about 20,000 house were damaged. Almost all the affectees have been provided first aid atleast one time.
He said that there is not any truth in the reports items that the local people have refused to take the relief goods owing to fear of terrorists. These kinds of news items are totally baseless. As a matter of fact they are accepting it quite happily.
The spokesman of Pak Army said that on the eve of 24th September, when the earthquake hit Balochistan, one battalion as well as doctors of Pak Army were sent to affected areas,which commenced the operation on the same day. The rescue and relief operation of Pak Army is spread out in the sphere of 182 square kilometres, where previously military was not present.
“Awaran is situated very far flung. If we travel Karachi to Awaran by road, it takes 12 hour. At present 14 helicopters of Army Aviation are being used for dropping food items in the devastated areas.
So far some 3550 tents were distributed among the affected people . Similary all the people were provided food bags containing 53 kg of dry ration and other edible items. A family can survive for 15 days with this bag”, he added.
General Bajwa told the reporters that the CM Baluchistan is monitoring all the relief and rescue operation himself.
