Nation Marked 16th Anniversary Of 2005 Earthquake As 'National Day For Raising Awareness'

The nation on Friday marked 16th anniversary of the devastating 2005 earthquake as the 'National Day for Raising Awareness' about safety from natural calamities besides as day of firmness and determination for reconstruction in memory of earthquake martyrs

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Oct, 2021 ) :The nation on Friday marked 16th anniversary of the devastating 2005 earthquake as the 'National Day for Raising Awareness' about safety from natural calamities besides as day of firmness and determination for reconstruction in memory of earthquake martyrs.

The day dawned with special prayers in mosques for the victims of October 8, 2005 quake, which had shaken parts of the country with7.6 magnitude intensity on the Richter scale, especially in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as result around 80,000 people died and thousands of houses, buildings were destroyed.

At 8:52 a.m. a memorial was held at various places and also observed a minute of silence.

The ceremonies were 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 16 years ago in 2005.

Minster for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Ali Amin Khan Gandapur said that the memories and grief for losing their loved ones were still alive in the hearts of the affected people after 16 year of the earthquake 2005.

He said that the Kashmiri people had lost an entire generation in the devastating earthquake of October 8, 2005.

"We have to work out a systematic plan to protect our generations from increasing natural disasters and evolve an effective strategy for disaster mitigation, optimum preparedness of disaster management to cope with the emergency situation, said Ali Amin Gandapur.

AJK Prime Minister Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi laid floral wreath at the memorial of the martyrs at the State metropolis.

Abdul Qayyum Niazi paid rich tribute to the martyrs of 8th October earthquake and highly commended the financial assistance and help extended by the Pakistani nation and government, the Armed Forces of Pakistan, the international community, Islamic countries and NGOs for taking part in the relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction work in the hour to trial.

Punjab Minister for Disaster Management Mian Khalid Mehmood has said the incumbent government was taking effective steps for protection against natural disasters and their negative effects.

He said the purpose of designating October 8 as Resilience Day was not only to commemorate the 2005 earthquake but also to prepare the nation to deal with dangers of future disasters Mirpur city of AJK observed the anniversary when it met the same fate in form of Sept. 24 devastating quake of moderate magnitude measuring 5.8 at Richter scale in year 2019 that had left at least 39 people dead and over 800 injured besides huge damaging of the buildings across Mirpur city and adjoining areas of Jatlaan leaving hundreds of thousands of the people shelter less badly affecting the daily life.

Prayers were also made for the liberation of the locked down bleeding vale of occupied Jammu and Kashmir from Indian subjugation.

Fateh Khawani and Quran Khawni were offered for thousands of victims of the calamity who lost their lives in the quake-hit Muzaffarabad and other parts of Azad Jammu Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In Mirpur division special functions were held to mark the day as the National Disaster Awareness Day with new pledge.

A walk of the children living in Kashmir Orphan Relief Trust Complex Mirpur was also taken out in Mirpur to mark the deadly earthquake of October 08, 2005.

In Mirpur cricket Stadium special prayer was offered for the martyrs of earthquake. Sirens were blown at 8.52 a.m and two minutes silence observed in the memory of the victims of the catastrophe. Orphan children and students of different schools and colleges participated.

Marking the sixteenth anniversary of the tragic earthquake in AJK on October 8, 2005, a special prayer ceremony was held at University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir to pay tribute to the victims of the catastrophe, which claimed the lives of thousands of people.

At least 200 students and six faculty members of the university were among the 87,350 killed in the severest earthquake that hit the region on this day, sixteen years ago in 2005.

Participants laid the floral wreaths at the memorial monument of the martyrs of the deadly earthquake on this occasion paying rich tributes to the departed souls and other victims of the history's worst catastrophe.

Punjab Emergency Service Rescue-1122 organized a walk and seminar to mark 'National Disaster Day' at Rescue office Faisalabad.

The participants offered 'Dua-e-Maghfrat' for the departed souls of those who were martyred in the October 8 earthquakes.

Centre for Disaster Preparedness and Management (CDPM), University of Peshawar (UoP) observed Pakistan's National Disaster Resilience Day and decided to arrange series of activities throughout the month to create public awareness about disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in collaboration with the GLOF-II project also observed "National Resilience Day" at University of Swat in remembrance of martyrs of October 8, 2005 earthquake.

The objective of the event was to express solidarity with the bereaved families who lost their family members in the tragic natural calamity.

Speaking on the occasion Director Disaster Risk Management Zuhra Nigar recalled the devastation caused in the 2005 earthquake and said that the commemoration of the day was aimed to create awareness among stakeholders about disaster risk reduction and disaster risk management.