History has witnessed many destructions and deaths caused by earthquakes. The one that caused highest deaths of 283,106, due to an earthquake and tsunami since the beginning of last century was at Sumatra on 26th December 2004, with a magnitude of 9.0.
An earthquake with a scale of 7.5 on 30th May 1935, in Quetta, took a toll of over 35,000 people and destroyed Quetta almost completely. Subsequently we have seen earthquakes in the Northern Areas of Pakistan and the last noticeable one was in October/November 2002 at Tatapani, Chilas.
However the magnitude and the spread of the one on 8th October, 2005 in Kashmir, NWFP and other regions of Pakistan was huge and brought a devastation that all past catastrophes looked miniscule. It was on the scale of 7.6 but the scale of human misery and material damage has been so enormous that its impact will touch the social, cultural, psychological, educational, economic and political fields for a long time.
What cannot be cured must be endured. It was a natural phenomena no one could predict, nor plan to meet such an emergency. But what was important was that people from the sea to the mountains rose to the occasion as one, just like in 1965 War.
At that time, it was in defence of the motherland against aggression by a larger armed neighbour, while this time the fight was against the devastation left behind by a natural disaster. On both occasions the nation was caught unaware yet demonstrated remarkable unity between the people and the Army.
The people of Pakistan woke up on that fateful morning of Ramazan to learn of the deaths of thousands, affecting hundred of thousands by the earthquake. The rubble was spread from the Margallas to the towering mountains of the Himalayas buying our people alive and left many homeless.
The challenge was huge but so was the response. People from cities and villages, all took to the road for one destination the affected areas to help in whatever way they could.
They slept in vehicles, in tents and in open areas. They ate whatever they carried or was available without caring for any conveniences. The sole purpose was to participate in the rescue and relief efforts.
The Army itself lost men and officers in the quake-hit areas. They opened the disrupted roads clearing the rubble of the landslides, tunnels, bridges to restore the telecommunication network and electricity and to put in place the administrative machinery for the law and order in the affected areas.
The major challenge of the reinforcement of troops in the affected areas was met by several thousand troops moving from the heartland of Punjab and other areas to the forward areas.
The army had to get access to the far-flung affected areas. On one hand they had to open roads while on the other hand to link up with the affected areas by deploying helicopters. The limited helicopters of Pakistan were supplemented by assistance from friendly countries while keeping the command and control within our own operations. In addition to the helicopters, vehicles were deployed to send relief goods and bring back casualties to the major medical centres of the country.
All this challenge was met due to the concerted efforts of the military command, under the leadership of President General Musharraf, who publicly announced a detailed army deployment plan with the names and contacts numbers of the officers responsible at the Main Bases namely: Muzafarabad, Rawalakot/Bagh and Mansehra and officers in various Forward Bases, covering all the affected areas in AJK and NWFP.
I personally witnessed the relief operations of our armed forces by directly interacting with them and let us see how they have come up to the expectations of the people of Pakistan by performing their national duty in this hour of grief and need.
In the very first week of the earthquake; the flying on PAFY-12 sortie with relief goods consignment to Muzaffarabad airport which was cut-off from the city; I found how PAF was distributing relief goods to people and with the help of doctors and volunteers from Patel Hospital Karachi had set-up a 50-tent field hospital at the Muzaffarabad airport building, which itself was severely damaged.
Later, flying to Muzaffarabad city stadium, one witnessed the movement of helicopters taking relief goods to forward areas and, on return, bringing back the casualties. GOC Major General Khalid Nawaz, his officers and men at the stadium were busy moving the relief goods and critical patients to Chaklala for hospitalisation. AJK Chief Secretary IGP, NGO's and various medical teams were part of the operation and the stadium was the centre of all relief activities in Muzaffarabad.
Later, at Chaklala I saw how the Directorate of Logistics of Pakistan Army at Chaklala was operating a Command Centre set up in a bunker and officers were scheduling the helicopter movement from tents put up on the side of the runways. The relief goods received from foreign governments to Pakistan government, foreign NGOs as well as other local relief goods from Chaklala were sent to forward bases initially and later directly to the far-flung affected areas. They moved over 12,000 tons of relief goods to date, 40% by helicopters and 60% by road.
Under the command of DG LOG Major General Jamil Haider, the directorate sent about 72,000 tents, 600,000 blankets, 2,600 tonnes of rations including 4,000 bags each of 25 kg relief goods. 650 tonnes of medicines and water, clothes and other items. All this was possible by deploying up to 600 trucks and about 80 helicopters making sorties from dawn to dusk, day after day in an orderly fashion.
Initially 6 forward bases were served but later directly to the forward areas of Chakotee, Alai, Bagh, Batagram, Chinari, Kaghan, Lipa and Neelam valley. The magnitude of operations could be felt by being there among the men and officers all committed to serve the people of country.
Thank God, no major untoward incidence or accident was reported so far due to the professional management on the ground and in the air closely supported by CAA and Air Traffic Control. Working smoothly with foreign pilots and staff along with our safety pilots and braving the weather and adverse conditions.
They were forwarding the goods from their storage at Chaklala to forward bases as per their request and plans but showed flexibility responding to requests sent to them for relief goods for the mountainous areas by direct landing or airdroping at places as high as 7,500 ft at Kalowal near Jabooti and villages in Alai. Whether it was airdrops or evacuation, the army was forthcoming to fulfil their national duty.
The efforts of the defence forces in the movement of relief goods was supplemented by PIA which transported relief goods into Islamabad within the first 18 hours of the catastrophe. In addition; 5,000 passengers were flown into Islamabad by making a virtual 'air bridge', this is said to be equivalent to operating 12 fully loaded B747 jumbo jets in 18 hours.
PIA flew over 1,500 tonnes of relief goods into Islamabad from various points on its network. A total of 31 dedicated freighter flights have operated from Karachi, USA, UK, Europe, China and UAE so far.
When essential life saving drugs, like tetanus were needed in the Islamabad hospitals, it was PIA which made it possible for us to bring them to Islamabad, without any charge. The relief cargo delivered to them in Karachi at midnight was delivered early morning in Islamabad. This was my experience with the national carrier, which is functionally with the Ministry of Defence.
Relief goods, from all over country, were zeroing in at Chaklala, PAF could not lift the relief cargo from Karachi on a particular day due to storage limitation at Chaklala. It was again the officer in charge who showed flexibility of by sending a C130 from Chaklala to airlift the cargo from Karachi for despatch to affected areas.
All the movement of the aircrafts was made possible by the close support of the oil companies operating in Pakistan including our national flagship company. Pakistan State Oil who moved its expensive refuelling equipment for JTI fuel to Muzaffarabad for increased effectiveness of Army helicopters.
I must also remember my interaction with NLC during this period when tents were loaded the same day as requested and moved in their trailer from Karachi to Islamabad for the affected areas, free of cost.
Our armed forces at all bases worked in unison with the NGO's and volunteer doctors to provide medical and surgical aid at these locations and move those requiring surgeries to cities. What was most remarkable was the co-ordinated handling of patients between the forward bases, major bases, Chaklala and the Military Hospitals in Rawalpindi as well as other hospitals in Rawalpindi Islamabad. The relief goods distribution was equally well co-ordinated. At Alai I witnessed how the lists for providing the relief goods prepared were signed by the Nazims and Naib Nazims for the commanding officer Colonel Zakkir to distribute relief goods to the identified affectees.
The real stories of how our armed forces participated, with our people in providing relief goods warm our hearts I have so far, shared only few of the observations to the Armed Forces specially the Army, but certainly much more has happened. I urge others to share their observations with the nation so that the role of all institutions, NGOSs, doctors, youth, women and men is recorded in the annals of history. This is time for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction and we must recognise the contributions of all.
(The writer is Chairman of Pakistan Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production)