Altaf Hamid Rao,
MIRPUR (AJK): All is set in Azad Jammu Kashmir to observe the 13th Anniversary of history’s worst killer earthquake of October 8, 2005 in the district simultaneously with rest of Azad Jammu & Kashmir on Monday – (today) Oct. 8 with due feelings of seriousness, respect and determination as the National Disaster Awareness Day with the glowing tributes to be paid to the martyrs and other victims of the history’s first-ever most-worst deadly catastrophe in the region.
The anniversary will be observed as the National Disaster Awareness Day to mark the 13th 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 sympathies with the survivors of the history’s most worst natural catastrophe.
The day will dawn with special prayers in the mosques at Fajr across AJK for the departed souls of the earthquake victims. It will be a gazetted holiday throughout AJK State.
Major ceremony to mark the day will be held at 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 this Correspondent on Saturday.
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 hall-mark of the 11th anniversary of the deadly earthquake which had turned bulk of AJK into rubble this day 13 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 for the martyrs and simultaneously with rest of the country sirens were blown at 8.52 a.m and two minutes silence will be observed in the mourning of the victims of the catastrophe at a ceremony to be started at Quaid-e-Azam Cricket Stadium at 7.00 O clock in the morning of October 8, Commissioner Mirpur Division Muhammad Tayyeb told this Correspondent when contacted here on Sunday to inquire about the programs of the anniversary of deadly catestrophy in all three districts of Mirpur division including Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimbher districts.
Concerned district authorities in all three districts of Mirpur division have given final touches to the programs of the anniversary in the division.
Earlier, walk of the children dwelling Kashmir Orphan Relief Trust (KORT) Complex Mirpur, who had fallen orphan in deadly earthquake of October 8, 2005, will begin at 7.00 am from Quaid e Azam Stadium to central Shaheed chowk in the city will be the hall mark of the anniversary.
Major ceremony to pay rich tributes to the victims of the history’s worst catastrophe, will be held in the town hall 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.
Similar special ceremonies including walks for awareness, seminars and symposiums will also be held in all other parts of AJK in the memory of the martyrs of the devastating quake which left over 75 thousand people dead and lakhs of others injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa and Azad 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 13 years ago in 2005.
