AJK To Observe 11th Anniversary Of October 8, 2005 Deadly Earthquake

MIRPUR (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 04th Oct, 2016 ) , : The 11th anniversary of history's worst and deadly earthquake of October 8, 2005 is being observed across Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday (Oct 8) with due feelings of seriousness, respect and determination as the National Disaster Awareness Day with the glowing tributes to be paid to the martyrs and other victims of the history's first-ever most-worst killer catastrophe in the region.

"In the AJK's capital city of Muzaffarabad, the day of October 8 will be marked with the sign of deep-rooted love and affection by the government and the people of Pakistan as well as the national and international NGO's and brotherly foreign countries who contributed their exceptional share for the rebuilding and rehabilitation of the quake-hit zone of AJK", Director General Public Relations AJK government Raja Azhar Iqbal told APP on Tuesday while elaborating conspicuous programs chalked out to observe the anniversary.

"Besides, special functions in various parts of AJK to pay glorious tributes to the victims of the killer catastrophe and to raise awareness among the people about adoption of per-cautionary measures to avert the losses in case of any natural catastrophe, will be the hall-mark of the 10th anniversary of the deadly earthquake which had turned bulk of AJK into rubble this day ten years ago", The DGPR said.

The mega development projects of public welfare have been completed in the AJK capital in the wake of the broad-based phased plan to rehabilitate the AJK metropolis on latest grounds comprising modern civic and other infrastructural facilities, he said.

The anniversary will be observed as the National Disaster Awareness Day to mark the 11th anniversary the calamity as `day of 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.

The day will dawn with special prayers in the mosques at Fajr across AJK for the departed souls of the earthquake victims. It will be a state holiday throughout AJK. Fateha Khawani will be held for the martyrs and simultaneously with rest of the country sirens were blown at 8.52 a.m and two minutes silence will be observed in the mourning of the victims of the catastrophe.

The day will be observed not only to pay glorious 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.

Similar special ceremonies including rallies, seminars and symposiums will also be held in various parts of AJK including Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimber districts in the memory of the martyrs of the devastating quake which left over 75,000 people dead and lakhs of others injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The ceremonies will be attended by the people representing all walks of life including social and political workers, lawyers, journalists and members of the business fraternity to pay glorious tributes to the victims of history's worst catastrophe this day 11 years ago in 2005.