A commemorative event was held Tuesday evening at the residence of the Consul General of Japan in Karachi, Masaharu Sato, to remember the victims of last year’s great east Japan earthquake and tsunami. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Provincial Assembly Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and Sindh Rehabilitation Minister Muzaffar Ali Shujra were among those present at the event. Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister while expressing sympathy at the devastation and loss of life caused by the massive earthquake and tsunami, also expressed deep appreciation for the tremendous efforts and efficiency with which the Japanese government undertook the rescue and rehabilitation operation.
On behalf of the people of Sindh, he offered heartfelt condolences to the families, who were struck by the enormous tragedy.
“The systematic efforts in which the rehabilitation efforts were undertaken are an example for other nations to follow,” Shah added. He pointed out that there is no price for the human life and that all that can be done is to mitigate the effect of the tragedy by expeditious rescue and generous assistance. “We ourselves have seen the face of devastation in the aftermath of the massive earthquake in the year 2005 and losing 75,000 lives. The people of Sindh also faced unprecedented devastation owing to the floods in 2010 and heavy rains in 2011,” he remarked.
The chief minister thanked the government and the people of Japan for their generous assistance given in their times of disaster. He also spoke about the deep friendly ties between Pakistan and Japan and said they will grow further with the passage of time. In his welcome address, the Japanese consul general, Masaharu Sato, shed light on the relief and rehabilitation efforts in the aftermath of the disasters in his country. He said people of Pakistan, especially those from Karachi, extended support to the people of Japan affected by the devastation.
The consul general said soon after the earthquake he received telephone calls, letters and emails from many people who expressed heartfelt condolences on the tragedy and expressed solidarity with Japan. Muzaffar Ali Shujra and Pakistan-Japan Business Forum President Abdul Kader Jaffer also expressed their views on the occasion.
