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My Dear General,
Six months ago, on January 4th, 2010 in the Hunza River Valley of northern Pakistan, a massive landslide buried the village of Ghareyat (Upper Attaabad), destroying homes, and killing people in village Sarat (Salmanabad), and damming up the Hunza River. This Lake in Hunza has recently dominated Pakistan news channels. The lake is now over 300 feet deep and 22km long, submerging miles of highway, farms and homes in Ayeenabad, Nazimabad (Siskat), Gulmit. Ghulkin and Susani (Hussaini). This natural disaster has devastated the life of a total of 381.house holds. This includes 141 Houses (19 killed and 1652 individuals of Village Attabad & Sarat displaced due to land sliding; 32 Houses in Village Ayeenabad another 130 Houses and landed property in Village Siskat, 61 Houses in Part of Village Gulmit, 10 Houses in Hussaini, and 7 Houses in Gulkin.(Data source: NDMA website). All the displaced people are now living either in camps established by organizations such as FOCUS or living with relatives' and friends. Among the affected are 25 households of serving and 95 of retired soldiers.
Since the condition of the lake appears to be stable now, it is hoped that the society and the government may take some steps in rehabilitation and rebuilding their lives but I have initiated this proposal with the hope and prayers that army as part of its traditional magnanimity for its serving and retired members should take a lead and set an example for others to follow. These numbers constitute a small portion of the vast numbers that army has taken care of through its welfare schemes. I hope it would once again rise to the occasion and rehabilitate these families by allotment of Agricultural land and or residential plots/houses through the currently running schemes in other pats of the country and as a least attractive option of monetary compensations. I am sure the dependant families will in such a case once again be thankful to Almighty for sparing their lives and giving them a hope in their lives.
I want to use this occasion to thank the army and specially the chief of army staff for sparing the resources and intervene timely in mitigating the suffering of soldiers and general populations alike in the hours and days of need. Although I have no political ambitions or desire for leadership, but when you ask any one in Hunza, they will tell you that they trust me and my heritage in communicating their true feelings of gratitude to the army.
I have enclosed the village wise list of serving and retired soldiers as an annex to this DO.
With profound regards,
Brig Hisamullah Beg SI (M)
Copy for information:
Chief of the Army Staff
Comd 10 Corps, Chaklala, Rawalpindi
FCNA
District Soldier Board, Gilgit
