ISLAMABAD, Oct 8: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has stressed the need for addressing risks posed by natural and human induced disasters, including terrorism, to ensure continuity of economic growth in the country.

Addressing the first National Disaster Risk Management Conference at the PM Secretariat on Wednesday, he said: “We need to assess negative effects of disasters that threaten sustained economic growth of the country.”

The conference was organised by the National Disaster Management Authority to commemorate the catastrophe caused by Oct 8, 2005, earthquake which had killed 73,000 people and rendered 3.5 million homeless in parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and northern districts of the NWFP. It caused a loss of over $5.2 billion.

The prime minister, who had cancelled his scheduled visit to the AJK capital for laying foundation stone of Muzaffarabad town due to security reasons, was chief guest on the occasion.

He said Pakistan needed to strengthen its early warning capacities, especially for droughts and flooding. He said early warning systems also needed to be developed for cyclones and tsunami.

Mr Gilani said the government had notified a National Disaster Management Fund.