MUZAFFARABAD: People in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) sombrely observed the 13th anniversary of the devastating 2005 earthquake on Monday.

The main ceremony to mark the anniversary was held at K. H. Khurshid Foot­ball Stadium here, with AJK minister for education Barrister Syed Iftikhar Ali Gillani and minister for trade and industries Noreen Arif among the attendees.

At about 8.52am, sirens were sounded and a one-minute silence was observed, following which wreaths were laid at the memorial to the earthquake victims along the playground and Fateha was offered for the departed souls.

Remembering Oct 8, 2005: The day the earth shook

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Gillani said: “The earthquake was a catastrophe that none of us had imagined even in our wildest dreams but our people faced it with strong and unmatched determination which is a golden chapter of our history.”

He paid tribute to the international community, friendly countries and Pakistani nation that came rushing to help out the affected people.

Mr Gillani stressed the need for creating awareness as much as possible among the masses to combat natural and man-made calamities systematically and scientifically so as to ensure minimal damages.

Similar events were held in the towns of Bagh and Rawalakot, which were also affected by the earthquake.

A rally was organised in Mirpur, the city which remained unaffected in the 2005 earthquake, to mark the day. Its participants were holding banners and placards, inscribed with awareness slogans.

In a briefing on the eve of the earthquake anniversary, Sardar Farooq Tabassum, secretary of the State Earth­quake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency (Serra), informed journalists that about Rs39 billion was required to complete all reconstruction projects in quake-affected areas.

“The reconstruction programme in quake-hit areas has been going through difficulties, particularly after 2010 when Pakistan was hit by devastating floods,” he said.

According to him, 1,385 projects were under construction, adding that 903 projects could not be initiated altogether due to shortage of funds.

“If the requisite funds are provided to us by the government of Pakistan, we are capable enough to complete all pending projects within two years,” he claimed.

Mr Tabassum said that majority of under-construction or yet-to-be initiated projects — 1300 — were in the education sector.

In the current fiscal year, he said, Serra had set out a target of completing 265 projects, depending on smooth cash flow.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2018