NGOs to get visas on arrival: Zardari

Secretary General Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Dr Ekmeledin Ihsanoglu said Tuesday that the organization will establish “Emergency Fund for Natural Disaster” to help victims of disasters anywhere in the Islamic countries.

He was talking to President Asif Ali Zardari during a call on at Chief Minister House here Tuesday.

Briefing the newsmen about the meeting, Press Secretary to President Farhatullah Babar said that Dr Ihsanoglu was accompanied by two Assistant Secretary Generals OIC Ambassador Abdul Moiz Bokhari and Ambassador Atta El-Manaan Bakhiet and other directors.

Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, CM’s Advisor on Information Jameel Soomro were also present on the occasion.

He said that OIC will also allocate funds for Pakistani flood victims during Organization’s next meeting. He said that OIC’s special meeting held two days ago, had already mobilized the pledges for about $ 1 billion for flood victims in Pakistan.

Dr Ihsanoglu expressed condolences with the President on the losses of lives and property during the unprecedented flood. “I am touched by the losses I had seen myself during the aerial visit to affected areas”, he added.

Farhatullah Babar said that OIC secretary assured the President that the Organization will do all the possible means to extend help in the rehabilitation activities of the government in flood affected areas.

He said President Asif Ali Zardari thanked the OIC for initiating efforts for the relief of flood victims and said that the tragedy is so big that Pakistan cannot handle it alone without the support of international community.

He pointed out that calamity is bigger than tsunami and the earthquake of 2005 and appealed to the international community and OIC to come forward and provide relief to the people of Pakistan.

The President said that the government will issue visas to international NGOs on arrival in Pakistan.

He urged OIC Secretary General to also circulate this information among international NGOs and NGOs working with OIC.

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on Aug 31 2010. Filed under Local, Pakistan, World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.