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Giving Voice to the Voiceless

Date: 8 th October 2010

His Excellency British High Commissioner British High CommissionIslamabadPakistan

Subject: DEMAND FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF FACT FINDING MISSION TOPROBE MISHANDLING OF INTERNATIONAL AID

Honorable Sir,

Hope this letter finds you in good health and spirits. Press For Peace (PFP), anindependent, non-profit and voluntary organisation working for the promotion of sustainable

peace and human development in Jammu and Kashmir as well as Pakistan; appreciates therole and efforts of British Government for extending help to the helpless peoples strickenwith current worst flood. The role of British Government has also been of great praiseworthyin historically worst earthquake of 8 th October 2005. We also express our gratitude to allthose organisations governmental and non-governmental pitted against such natural disastersin Pakistan.

However, we are also extremely concerned and perplexed over the misuse of fundsand negligence displayed on the part of those departments solely established for rehabilitationof earthquake affected areas in Pakistan controlled Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Khyber Patkhoon Khawa Province (formerly known as NWFP) region.

It is unfortunate to say that more than $450 Million which have been doled out toPakistan as foreign aid for the victims of the 2005 earthquake has been diverted byGovernment of Pakistan to Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) and other causes, whichhave put profound negative repercussion upon the process of rebuilding.

Similarly, a large chunk of aid money has been misused or embezzled by spending onadministrative and non developmental expenditures in Earthquake Reconstruction &Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA), Provincial Earthquake and Rehabilitation Authority(PERA) and State Earthquake Reconstruction & Rehabilitation Agency (SEERA), consideredto be the sole responsible bodies liable for reconstruction of the affected areas.

Today, the people of quake ravaged areas are celebrating the fifth anniversary in an appallingsituation, when thousands of school children are studying in torn tents and large numbers of families are living without decent accommodation. Hundreds of passengers have lost their lives in fatal accidents caused mainly by damaged roads. Resultantly, the quite a goodnumber of these peoples especially women and children affected by these calamities are from

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pillar to post. As per statistics and survey from independent sources, only 500 schools have been rebuilt from 3000 destroyed schools, while work on 800 schools could not be started asyet. In the same way, only half of the health institutions have been built in AJ&K while thehuge amount of financial aid reserved for the rehabilitation of 6000 special persons have beensquandered and misused.

PFP being representative of voicing the concerns of hapless and helpless peoples of poor affected communities would like to demand for the establishment of a Fact FindingCommission comprising of the representatives of all donor countries so as to probe thealleged irregularities and embezzlement in funds donated for Earthquake of October 08,2005. The proposed Commission must investigate how much funds from international aidhave been spent on benefits, privileges, administrative costs and other non- developmentalareas?

PFP earnestly urges the donor countries and other circles from internationaldevelopment organisations to ensure the rightful and transparent spending of humanitarianaid for earthquake victims by initiating necessary steps. From the reports of media both printsand electronic, we label the governmental personnel both political and bureaucraticresponsible and involved in the misuse of public money; and they should be brought to

justice by Fact Finding Mission. We also demand that over 500 million dollars spent by UNagencies should also be investigated because there are complaints of misappropriation of funds by some of the UN agencies, the situation which also requires independent andimpartial inquiry.

We are fully convinced that you and your country would support these demands toensure and guarantee transparency and effectiveness in international aid, which will build thetrust of donors and philanthropists as well.

Looking forward to your kind response in this regards.

With thanking,

Zafar Iqbal

Executive Director

Press For Peace (PFP)

Bank Road, Muzaffarabad, Jammu and Kashmir

Ph: 0092 -5822-445457

Fax: 0092 5822 -445437

Email:info@pressforpeace.org.uk