The second anniversary of deadly earthquake of October 8, 2005 was observed throughout Azad Kashmir on Monday as a day of mourning and to pray for the rest of the departed souls of the martyred in eternal peace and to express complete solidarity and sympathies of the survivals of the history's most worst natural catastrophe.
The anniversary was marked as the National Disaster awareness Day and the 'Day to firmness and determination for reconstruction in memory of earthquake martyrs' coupled with special prayers for the rest of the departed souls of the quake victims in eternal peace and to express complete solidarity and sympathies with the survivors of the history's most worst natural catastrophe.
Special ceremonies were held in all small and major towns in the memory of the martyrs of the devastating quake, which left over 73,000 people dead, and lakhs of others injured in NWFP and Azad Kashmir. Fateha was offered for the martyrs and sirens were blown at 8:52 am and two minutes silence was observed. It was a state holiday today throughout AJK.
The day was observed not only to pay tributes to the martyrs of the killer earthquake and the early rehabilitation of the other quake victims but also to raise awareness among the masses as how to deal and face any natural catastrophe with patience and all other required practical means.
In Mirpur, a ceremony to observe the second anniversary of the earthquake was held at the District Council hall under the auspices of National Events Organising Committee with the coordination of the Zila Council here Monday morning. Chairman National Events Organising Committee and Deputy Commissioner Fiyaz Ali Abbasi chaired the ceremony.
Whereas ex health minister of AJK Arshad Mahmood Ghazi was the chief guest on this occasion. Speakers including the Chairman National Events Organising Committee Fiyaz Ali Abbasi, Arshad Mahmood Ghazi, Secretary General of the Events Committee Altaf Hamid Rao, ex finance minister capt. (Retd) Sarfraz Khan, Administrator District Council Raja Zaffar Mahroof, Professional Wing Muslim Conference.
Chaudhry Muhammad Siddique Advocate, Raja Muhammad Riaz, Tariq Ismail Khan, ex city Mayor Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf, Kashmir Press Club President Muhammad Amin Butt, Supreme Head Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajran Suhail Shujah and others paid glorious tributes to the victims of South's Asia's largest earthquake.
Speakers said that the day of October 8 two years ago was the darkest and most tragic day in the history of the world when bulk of Azad Jammu Kashmir and some adjoining parts of NWFP turned into rubble and a mega graveyard all of sudden by the killer earthquake.
They pointed out that entire international community especially the people and the government of Pakistan, Pak Army, national and international NGOs, social welfare organisations and other philanthropists immediately jumped into the quake-hit zone irrespective of caste, creed and religion and joined the relief and rescue operations and saved thousands of the precious lives in the debris turned areas. These marvellous services would be all remembered, they added.
Speakers expressed complete solidarity and sympathies with those survived in the earthquake and reiterated their determination to lend every possible services side by side the government for their rehabilitation to bring to the life back to normal to the pre-October 8 earthquake regime in the affected zone.
Speakers thanked the government of Pakistan especially President General Pervez Musharraf for the generous financial assistance which was being extended for the early reconstruction and rehabilitation of quake-hit areas of Azad Jammu Kashmir.
They emphasised the need of more private-public partnership to restore the life in the quake-stricken areas within the stipulated time frame. Speakers said that the ongoing reconstruction and rehabilitation of quake hit zone with colossal funds of over Rs One hundred billion is the ample proof of the generous financial aid which the government of Pakistan was extending to bring the life back to the pre-quake regime.
Speakers paid rich tributes to those died in earthquake in NWFP and AJK. They prayed for the rest of the departed souls in eternal peace. Expressing completes solidarity with the survivors in the devastating catastrophe, speakers reiterated the resolve to extend their due share for their early rehabilitation whenever needed.
Stressing the need for accelerating the reconstruction and rehabilitation process in the affected zone, speakers called upon Erra and Serra to step up the reconstruction process through launching all required immediate practical steps accordingly. Similar ceremonies were held in Kotli and Bhimbher districts where participants prayed for the rest of the souls of the martyrs of earthquake.
The ceremonies were attended by the people of all sections of society, including social and political workers, lawyers, journalists, businessmen, representatives of NGOs and philanthropists in large number.
Comments
Comments are closed.