MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq has said the memories of deadly earthquake that shook the entire region on October 8, 2005, were still afresh in the hearts and minds of all concerned.
Speaking at a ceremony, organised by the State Disaster Management Authority on the anniversary of those martyred in earthquake in 2005, he said it was heartening to see that the region had recovered from the disaster, but there was still a lot to be done. He said building infrastructure worth Rs52 billion was yet to be completed. He said the whole nation had to shoulder the responsibility together.
Lauding the role of international community, the PM said the United States, Europe, especially the Islamic countries including Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other countries played an important role in helping rehabilitation of survivors and building the infrastructure. He said the Pakistan Army played a crucial role during rehabilitation and reconstruction process.
Voicing his serious concerns over Israel's aggression against the Palestinian people, the PM said the international community must redouble its efforts to stop bloodshed of innocent civilians in Gaza.
Drawing parallels between Kashmir and Palestine, he said the people of both the regions had suffered enormously at the hands of colonisers. He said that climate change had become a global challenge, but Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, rank among the most vulnerable regions to climate change. He said that deforestation was one of the major causes of climate change. He said, "It is not possible to stop natural disasters, but all that we can do is to learn how to deal with any disaster effectively or minimise the scale of destruction during the calamity.”
The AJK PM also eulogised the martyrs of the Pakistan Army and hailed the armed forces' significant role in rehabilitation and reconstruction process.
The function was attended and addressed by Senior Minister Colonel (retd) Waqar Ahmad Noor, Sardar Javed Ayub, Syed Bazal Ali Naqvi, Diwan Ali Khan Chughtai, Abdul Majid Khan, Pir Mazhar Saeed, Prof Taqdees Gilani, Chief Secretary Dawood Mohammad Barich, and others.
Separately, AJK President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry said the unparalleled help provided by the Pakistan armed forces to the earthquake victims would never be forgotten by the people of Azad Kashmir.
In a statement issued on Sunday, he said compensation for the loss of human lives caused by the earthquake was not possible, but the government tried its best to rehabilitate the victims rebuild and reconstruct their damaged infrastructure.
He thanked the international community for its generous support for rescue and relief of earthquake victims in 2005.
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