National Resilience Day: Pakistan observes 18th anniversary of Oct 8, 2005 earthquake.

ISLAMABAD/MUZAFFARABAD -- National Resilience Day was observed on Sunday across the country including AJK to commemorate the 18th anniversary of deadly earthquake of October 8, 2005 and raise awareness about the disaster management among the public.

The earthquake claimed thousands of lives besides causing massive damage to infrastructure especially in Azad Kashmir and Hazara division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Different events were organized in different parts of the country including Azad Jammu and Kashmir to express solidarity and sympathies with the victims of the calamities. The day dawned with special prayers in mosques for the martyrs and prosperity of the country.

One minute of silence was observed at all district headquarters at 08.54 am. Last year in September, a strong earthquake of 5.8 magnitude brought disaster to different parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). The quake hit some urban and rural parts of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) including Muzaffarabad, Kotli and many other scattered places.

In their separate messages on the occasion, President Dr Arif Alvi and Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar reaffirmed the commitment to enhance national preparedness and strengthen resilience in the face of natural disasters.

The President in his message said we come together to show our solidarity and compassion for families who have endured the devastating effects of unprecedented natural disasters.

The Caretaker Prime Minister in his message said Pakistan is moving towards a proactive approach to cope with the challenge of Climate Change. Chairman NDMA sais in his message that we commemorate this occasion with a mission and commitment to advance national preparedness by improving and increasing the nation's resilience to natural and human induced threats.

He said that Pakistan is facing changing climatic condition and frequent recurrence of unpredictable and extreme events. In order to meet these challenges, NDMA is proactively working at reducing the vulnerability to disasters, and also providing coping mechanisms and framework for effective disaster management, he added.

The NDMA chairman said that the disaster management system in Pakistan had traveled a long way in the recent time with formulation of National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy and National Disaster Management Plan but still we have to go very far by implementing these polices and plan in their true letter and spirit.

'We have also made considerable progress...