August 23rd, 2010  - by Najam

ISLAMABAD: Former President Pervez Musharraf on Sunday has said that he would soon organize a telethon fundraising in Pakistan for more than 20 million flood affected of the country. The disastrous floods have swamped a fifth of Pakistan and affected 20 million people in the country’s worst ever natural disaster.

In an exclusively interview with a private TV channel, Musharraf revealed that he is formulating a foundation to collect donations and carrying out relief and rehabilitation activities for calamity-hit Pakistanis. Applauding armed forces’ role in flood relief work, he said Pakistan Army has efficiency to successfully carry out rescue operations across the country through its organization and administration. To a question, he replied that the local government was a grassroot-based system to provide relief to masses to the lower level.
“The local body system was best possible system. If there were Nazims, Tehsil Nazims and Councilors, they would have provided relief to the people in their areas.” To another question, the former president demanded that the international community should write off Pakistan’s loan in the wake of current calamity situation. “Pakistan needs donations, not loan from the international community. The international monitory institutions should write off tax service liability or reschedule Pakistan’s loan.

Source: News Agencies