ISLAMABAD: On the instructions of the federal government, National Disaster Management Authority has arranged to dispatch two C-130 flights containing relief goods for earthquake affected people of China. The relief goods would include tents, blankets, plastic mats, medicines and mineral water. The relief goods carrying flights will depart for China early in the morning on Friday, 16th of May. Senior officials of National Disaster Management Authority of Prime Minister’s Secretariat, the Cabinet Division, Foreign Office and Chinese Embassy will see off the flights in a simple ceremony. The President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan have already visited Chinese Embassy in Islamabad to express condolence and solidarity with the affected families and Chinese government.

ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf has expressed gratitude to Turkey for its efforts in building schools and university in Azad Kashmir after the devastating earthquake of October, 2005. This he said during a meeting with the Chairman of Turkish NGO Lighthouse Association, Engin Yilmaz , in Rawalpindi on Thursday. The President said that the NGO had done a commendable job in further strengthening the friendly and brotherly ties between the people of Turkey and Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Senate, Mr. Mohammadmian Soomro has expressed deep sense of sorrow and grief over the loss of thousands of precious human lives as a result of the devastating earthquake that hit the Sichuan province of China. In a message of condolence to Chairperson Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the Senate Chairman, Mr. Mohammedmian Soomro said that he, his colleagues in the Senate and the people of Pakistan as ever before stand shoulder to shoulder with their Chinese brothers in this hours of trial and distress and fully share their grief. He expressed confidence that the people of China would overcome this adversity boldly adding that our sympathies are with the bereaved families and the victims of the natural calamity.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for I.T. and Telecommunications, Mr. Qamar Zaman Kaira has said that the international community responded remarkably well and played invaluable services remained steadfast despite enormous challenges in the wake of the earth quake to bring life back to normal. He stated this at the meeting with vice president British Telecom Global services, who called on him on Monday at the IT Ministry. Mr. Falkner’s recent visit was at the conclusion of his recent trip to the quake stricken northern areas at the auspices of the government of Pakistan.

B.T, which has been indirectly doing business in Pakistan since inception and present locally since five years had played an effective role in the aftermath of the earth quake when it donated satellite communication equipment worth Rs. 140 million to the government of Pakistan This equipment enabled free calls to UK or any world wide destination and voice communications between sites in Pakistan. Moreover, additional equipment worth Rs. two and a half crores for compatibility with Pak sat satellite needed to establish communication links was also donated. Read the rest of this entry »

BEIJING (Reuters) - A powerful earthquake in southwest China has killed up to 5,000 people and left as many as 10,000 injured, state media said, as hundreds of children remained trapped in at least eight collapsed schools. An estimated 3,000 to 5,000 people were killed in Beichuan county of mountainous Sichuan province alone after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the region during the early afternoon on Monday, Xinhua news agency said, citing the local government.

As many as 10,000 in Beichuan county were feared injured and 80 percent of the buildings there had been destroyed, the report said. Beichuan’s population is 161,000, meaning about one in 10 residents were killed or injured in the quake. The county is a part of Mianyang city, and about 160 km (100 miles) from the provincial capital, Chengdu. Read the rest of this entry »

QUETTA: A powerful earthquake jolted Awaran district of Balochistan province, sources said. The tremors felt at 9:18 am on Monday. The epicenter of 4.1-magnitude earthquake was 1000 kilometer in northwest of Peshawar.

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations has hailed the pace of reconstruction activities in the earthquake affected areas of AJK and NWFP. Addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Friday, Country Director UN-Habitat Jean Christopher Adrian described the housing reconstruction programme as a role model for the international community to cope with the future disasters.

Recognizing the unprecedented success of ERRA in the affected areas, Christopher Adrian said its owner driven approach of giving money to the affectees’ ensured speed in reconstruction of safer homes. He said about two hundred and forty thousand houses have so far been completely rebuilt while the remaining would be completed by the end of this year.

About his organization’s future plans for Pakistan, he said they are planning to start a series of activities in the water and sanitation sector, besides ensuring a better living condition for the residents of Kachi Abadis.