The reconstruction of earthquake-shattered areas will take place on modern lines with a focus on improving lives of survivors of the country's worst natural disaster, Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Tahir Iqbal said on Friday.
The new buildings and houses in the quake-hit areas of Azad Kashmir and NWFP would be quake-resistant, he said, and was confident that the bulk of reconstruction work would be completed in three years.
"The engineers have trained thousands of people to build and design their houses in accordance with new building codes and standards based on land studies and seismic survey," he said.
He said the better town planning and construction of well-equipped healthcare facilities and educational institutions across the quake zone and development of new towns would help raise the quality of life for the affected people, adding that economic activity would generate jobs for local populace.
The town of Balakot, which had been completely devastated in the calamity, would be relocated to a new place, he said, adding that in Azad Kashmir, the capital Muzaffarabad and Bagh and Rawalakot were severely battered by the massive earthquake and they would be rebuilt on modern lines.
It was an unprecedented relief effort that the government, the international community, the NGOs, Pakistan Army and the civil society and volunteers launched in the wake of the catastrophe last year.