Help for Earthquake Victims in Pakistan: Dr. Raza Bokhari, President-elect, PAKPAC meets Senator Rick Santorum (R) of Pennsylvania.

October 10th 2005, The Union League, Philadelphia, PA: Dr. Raza Bokhari, President-elect, PAKPAC, privately met Senator Rick Santorum ( R) of Pennsylvania and briefed him on the aftermath of the massive earthquake in Pakistan and solicited his assistance. Senator Santorum, who sits on the US Senate Finance Committee expressed his sympathy towards the victims of the earthquake, and assured his support.

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Following is the text of the message delivered to Senator Rick Santorum (R):

Honorable Senator Santorum:

The massive earthquake of October 8th 2005 has caused widespread damage in Pakistan, primarily in Punjab, North Western Frontier Province, Tribal Areas and Kashmir. The intensity of the earthquake measured 7.6 degrees on the Richter scale is the worst ever in the history of Pakistan. The death toll has already crossed 20,000 and loss of assets is estimated to run into billions of dollars.

The President of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf has appealed for international help, saying Pakistan cannot deal with the aftermath of the massive earthquake on its own.

President Bush invited on Sunday October 9th 2005, Pakistan’s Charge d’ affaires to US to offer condolences in person. He spoke to the reporters with the Charge d’ affaires by his side in front of the fireplace in the Oval Office and conveyed that he has spoken to the President of Pakistan; “I told him that we would like to help in any way we can”. The President Bush said.

The vibrant Pakistani American community nation-wide has already mobilized its resources to collect donations in cash and kind and is working with Pakistan’s missions in the United States and directly with governmental and Non-governmental organizations in Pakistan to secure delivery to the victims.

To demonstrate your support to the efforts of more than half million Pakistani Americans living in the United States, of which nearly 10,000 are residents of Pennsylvania, and express your goodwill to the people of Pakistan, kindly consider the following actions:

Introduce a bill in the US Senate to appropriate at least $50 million in aid to Pakistan to respond to the challenges caused by this massive earthquake.
Encourage US philanthropic organizations and charitable foundations to offer monetary and other assistance to Pakistan
Commit to visit Pakistan personally at an appropriate time to personally attempt to assess the extent of the damage, and also take this opportunity to better understand the role of Pakistan in global economy.

More information on the aftermath of Earthquake can be obtained from the Earthquake Crisis Management Cell headed by Deputy Chief of Mission Mohammed Sadiq, located in the Embassy of Pakistan, 3517 International Court, NW, Washington, DC 20008. Tel 202 243 3251.

We eagerly await your response.

About PAKPAC…..The Pakistani American Public Affairs Committee (PAKPAC) is a nationwide, membership based, not for-profit lobbying organization registered with the US Federal Election Commission. PAKPAC's mission is to advance and strengthen U.S.-Pakistan relations, while working tirelessly to preserve, protect and promote ideals of civil liberties commonly cherished by all Americans. PAKPAC is organized to give voice to issues and concerns common to the Pakistani American community. It play's an important role in fostering greater political and civic engagement within the Pakistani Americans. PAKPAC is also focused in collaborating with other regional and national Pakistani American organizations, as it continues to serve as a watch dog for inaccurate and negatively biased media coverage about Pakistan and Pakistani Americans. PAKPAC is also involved in educating media outlets, political parties, academic institutions, think tanks, and Administration (US as well as Pakistani) about issues of concern and significance to the Pakistani American community. (For more information on PAKPAC, browse our website (www.pakpac.net).