MIRPUR (AJK), Oct 8(ABC): The 17th anniversary of the devastating earthquake, a day 16 years ago in 2005, was commemorated across Azad Jammu & Kashmir on Saturday. Azad Jammu and Kashmir flag remained at half-mast on all public buildings of the state to mark the anniversary. The anniversary was observed as the ‘Day Of Patience’ besides as National Day for Raising Awareness about safety from natural calamities besides 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 7.6 magnitude earthquake jolted Azad Kashmir and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 8:52 am on the morning of October 8, 2005. Muzaffarabad, the AJK State’s metropolis , was ground-zero in the catastrophic temblor. The city and the entire region to Balakot was left virtually unrecognizable when the earth stopped shaking leaving over 82,000 people dead and thousands injured. The devastating earthquake of October 8, 2005, had jolted Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) and adjoining areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province turning major part of the two adjoining regions into rubble.
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 at the Quaid e Azam International Crick Stadium at the DHQ of Mirpur with new pledge. A walk of the children living in Kashmir Orphan Relief Trust Complex Mirpur was also taken out in Mirpur Saturday led by Deputy Commissioner Ch. Amjad Iqbal, ADC (G) Ch. Yasir Riaz, AC Sardar Abdul Qadir Khan and other city elite to mark the deadly earthquake of October 08, 2005.
The walk started from Mirpur Cricket stadium and ended at the same venue after passing through main Muhammad Shaheed Chowk and quid-e-Azam Chowk. Besides, DC Ch. Amjad Iqbal, founder of the KORT Educational Orphan Relief Trust Ch. Muhammad Akhtar’s Country Director Sardar Sajid Dilawar Khan and KORT’s old volunteers and associates – Ch. Muhammad Hanif and other city elite led the walk, The walk started from Quaid-e-Azam Cricket Stadium was also attended by students and other local people in large number. Besides the dignitaries, students of various other local schools and colleges also attended the ceremony besides large number of people belonging to all walks of life.
Central prayers ceremony was held at the State metropolis where AJK Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Illayas Khan laid floral wreath at the memorial of the martyrs in the capital town. The ministers and large number of local people attended the ceremony. One minute silence was observed at 08:52 this morning. In his brief address on this occasion, the AJK Prime Minister paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the deadly catastrophe of October 08, 2005 earthquake. Khan declared to complete the abandoned and incomplete public welfare projects in earthquake hit zone from the colossal Rs. 500 billion gigantic development package announced by the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan, he added. It may be added that the AJK government had identified about 8 thousand projects for the reconstruction work in the earthquake-hit areas in AJK, with a total investment of Rs. 210 billion.
After 17 years down the line still a big portion of the projects in the earthquake hit zone was reportedly still lying incomplete, informed sources said. Over 250 children dwelling South Asia’s largest Kashmir Orphan Relief Trust (KORT) and Educational Complex Mirpur, who were fallen orphan and lost their parents in the devastative earthquake marched in the memory of their loved ones in Mirpur participating a major congregation. 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 17 years ago in 2005.