MIRPUR (AJK): Azad Jammu & Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan Saturday stressed the need of imparting disaster management training to every individual in the liberated territory. He said that better planning and disaster management training to individuals are imperative to respond to floods, earthquakes and other natural calamities.
He said this after inaugurating the district office of Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) Azad Kashmir chapter in Bagh town.
The function was also addressed by Minister for Forests Sardar Mir Akbar Khan, Chairman PRCS Azad Kashmir State Branch, Dr Sardar Mehmood Khan, Secretary-General Raja Shoaib and district office-bearers of the society.
The AJK president said that since the catastrophic earthquake of 2005, the PRCS had played a valuable role in educating and creating awareness among the people of Azad Kashmir regarding health, water and sanitation and response to natural calamities.
Expressing gratitude to Dr Sardar Mahmood Khan particularly for launching School Safety Program, he asserted that the collapse of school buildings had caused the heaviest losses of lives in 2005 earthquake, hence it was highly important to train and apprise the students of safety measures in case of any natural calamity.
Sardar Masood Khan said that in view of the disaster caused by the 1992 flood, 2005 earthquake and 2010 flood, there was dire need of making effective planning and imparting training to the people to deal with the impacts of natural calamities.
He lauded the PRCS for laying its network in Azad Kashmir within a short span of time, and said that the setting up of PRCS regional office in district Bagh will open up new vistas for the local people and they would enjoy the latest health facilities.
He said that Bagh, Rawalakot and Muzaffarabad were disaster-prone areas and a lot was needed to do there for disaster management. "Particularly the Women's University Bagh and other educational institutions should start science and technology courses in disciplines such as disaster management and earth sciences through the close collaboration of PRCS and the universities," he added.
Paying tributes to PRCS for launching a special program for the victims of Indian firing along the Line of Control, the AJK president said that special attention should be paid to the construction of quake-proof buildings.
Touching upon the latest situation of occupied Kashmir, Sardar Masood Khan said that India was establishing separate settlements for Hindu pundits to change the demography of occupied Kashmir. Besides the Kashmiri youth are being incarcerated, and inhuman brutalities are being let loose against them.
"India is using all repressive means to break the will of detained Kashmiri leadership particularly Syed Ali Shah Gilani, Yasin Malik, Syed Shabbir Ahmed Shah and other leading figures, but the Kashmiri people are determined to continue their struggle till realization of their goal of freedom from the Indian yoke" said the AJK president.
Meanwhile, addressing a function on the 31st death anniversary of liberation movement leader Syed Hassan Shah Gardezi here, Sardar Masood Khan said that the young generation needed to follow the footprints of their heroes like Gardazi to lead the liberation struggle to its ultimate end.
He said that late Syed Hassan Shah Gardezi was a flag bearer of unity and cohesion.
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