Muzaffarabad; December 23, 2009: (PCP) The government and major political parties in Azad Jammu and Kashmir have unanimously asked government of Pakistan to redress the people’s resentment over the failures of rehabilitation process in earthquake hit areas. “Islamabad based and controlled Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) has entirely failed to accomplish the task of rebuilding of the areas after wasting more than four years and enormous funds on luxurious vehicles and lavish personal earnings by government officials”. The unanimous demand was made at a Seminar jointly organized by Press for Peace (PFP) and Action Aid, Pakistan at a hotel which was attended by two ministers, heads and representatives of line departments, political leaders, traders, journalists and other civil society members. Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra), State Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency (Serra) and Provincial Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency (Perra), have been established by government of Pakistan for resettlement of the affectees and reconstruction of demolished infstrusture in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and NWFP. Minister for Housing, Works and Public Health Murtaza Gillani, Minster for education Mrs. Noreen Arif, Chairman Muzaffarabad Development Authority Dr. Mahmud-ul- Hassan, Project Director Muzaffarabad City Development Project (MCDP) Brigadier(R) Shiraz, former Minister Khawaja Farooq, Director Distrcrict Reconstruction Unit(DRU) Bashir Mughal, President Liberation League Mir Lateef Advocate, Mrs Tanveer Latif ,pattern PFP and representatives of civil society organizations, Qazi Shahid Hamid, Khalid Mughal, Anser Peerzada, Naz Butt Naji, Raja Wasim, Tahir Farooqi , Aurangzeb Saifullah and others addressed the Seminar. Earlier, Project Director Muzaffarabad City Development Project (MCDP) Brigadier(R) Shiraz highlighted the salient features of the project and updated the participants about the latest situation of the development activities. He informed that Pakistan have signed an agreement with the China to rebuild Muzaffarabad according to the needs of modern era. More than 104 development projects would be completed in new city Master Plan, among which, 107 schemes are started by the Chinese firms. He further said that mega projects have not been initiated yet because their allocated lands were not provided. Chairman Muzaffarabad Development Authority Dr. Mahmud –ul- Hassan told that the Land Use Plan for Muzaffarabad has been prepared which would divide the city into five sectors in order to provide latest basic amenities of life to citizens. “Three thousands families living on the risky places would be shifted to newly established Satellite towns in the suburb of Muzaffarabad”, he informed. Minister for Housing, Works and Public Health Murtaza Gillani held that Government of Azad Kashmir would take the issue of the delay of reconstruion with the Federal Government as we have strong reservations on the performance of the ERRA, which, he alleged, ‘ since last four years have done nothing except futile briefings and meetings’. “People could not be satisfied with the showing maps and statistics because they demand and expect work on ground and practical actions from their representatives”, he added. Criticizing the performance of the ERRA, which is statuary independent body of government of Pakistan, the Minister said that the situation could have been different if the AJ&K government was given the task the job of rebuilding after the earthquake in 2005. Addressing the seminar, AJ&K Minister for education Mrs. Noreen Arif said that politicians and government have to suffer before the public because of the failures and inefficiency of the concerned departments. “We are accountable and answerable to the public; however, we could not satisfy them because we have our own reservations on the progress of state organs responsible for reconstruction”. She asked line departments to accelerate the pace of development activities in order to diminish the public sufferings. Former Minister and PPP leader Khawaja Farooq criticised the luxurious life style of government officials, who “are lavishing on public exchequer, ignoring peoples miseries caused by the delay in the rebuilding process,” he accused. President Liberation League, Mir Lateef Advocate said that we are not slaves of Pakistan, therefore, the construction works should be done by the State Government, rather than Islamabad- controlled departments, which, have turned into ‘white elephant’ because of wastage of national exchequer. Criticizing the performance of the ERRA, other speakers held both Pakistan and AJ&K governments responsible for regrettable weaknesses of the construction of Master Plan and demanded that both governments must be answerable for their poor progress and inefficiency