Azad Jammu and Kashmir is observing the 11th anniversary of history’s worst and deadly earthquake of October 8, 2005, in the district simultaneously with rest of Azad Jammu & Kashmir on Saturday (Oct 8) with due feelings of seriousness, respect and determination as the National Disaster Awareness Day.
The anniversary is being observed as the National Disaster Awareness Day to mark the 11th anniversary the calamity 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 sympathise with the survivors of the history’s most worst natural catastrophe.
The day has dawned with special prayers in the mosques at Fajr across AJK for the departed souls of the earthquake victims. It is a state holiday throughout AJK.
Major ceremony to mark the day will be held at the AJK University’s Ground in the capital city of Muzaffarabad, with the sign of deep rooted love and affection by the government and the people of Pakistan as well as the national and international NGO’s and brotherly foreign countries who contributed their exceptional share for the rebuilding and rehabilitation of the quake-hit zone of AJK, the State National Disaster Management Authorities sources told APP on Friday.
“Besides, special functions in various parts of AJK to pay glorious tributes to the victims of the killer catastrophe and to raise awareness among the people about adoption of per-cautionary measures to avert the losses in case of any natural catastrophe, will be the hallmark of the 11th anniversary of the deadly earthquake which had turned bulk of AJK into rubble this day 11 years ago”, the sources added.
In Mirpur, the major ceremony will be held at the Mirpur Cricket Stadium where Fateha Khawani will be offered for the martyrs and simultaneously with rest of the country sirens sounded at 8.52 am and two minutes silence was observed in the mourning of the victims of the catastrophe at a ceremony to be held at Quaid e Azam Cricket Stadium on the morning of October 8, Deputy Commissioner Ansar Yaqoob said while chairing a high-level meeting held in his office here Friday to give final touches to the programmes of the anniversary in the district.
The DC later told that a walk of the children dwelling Kashmir Orphan Relief Trust (KORT) Complex Mirpur, who had fallen orphan in the deadly earthquake of October 8, 2005, will be the hallmark of the anniversary.
He said that major ceremony to pay rich tributes to the victims of the history’s worst catastrophe will be held at the Municipal Corporation Hall Mirpur where people from all walks of life besides social and political workers, volunteers and the heads of the nation building institutions will attend to mark the anniversary.
Several of the mega Development Projects of public welfare have been completed in the AJK capital in the wake of the broad-based phased plan to rehabilitate the AJK metropolis on latest grounds comprising modern civic and other infrastructural facilities, he said.
Similar special ceremonies including walks for awareness, seminars and symposiums will also be held in various parts of AJK including Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimber districts in the memory of the martyrs of the devastating quake which left over 75 thousand people dead and lakhs of others injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad n Jammu & Kashmir.
The ceremonies will be 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 11 years ago in 2005.
