Naveed Miraj
The entire Pakistani nation is aggrieved and in a state of shock over the unfolding tragedy in Turkiye and Syria, where the massive earthquake and aftershocks have so far claimed the lives of over five thousand people, and nobody knows where this death toll will finally stand as thousands of others are still trapped under the rubble following the collapse of so many high-rise buildings.
The civilian and military leadership have not only expressed grief and sorrow over the calamity’s death and destruction caused by the calamity, but flights have also been dispatched to Istanbul loaded with relief supplies and rescue teams.
The history of Pakistani-Turkish relations is a story of concern and cooperation. It is such a unique relationship that simply cannot be described in lexemes. Deep-rooted in the hearts of their peoples, the two countries have always been standing with each other in difficult times.
The people of Pakistan can never and will never forget the generosity shown by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the first lady in the wake of the 2005 devastating earthquake. The country helped Pakistan build the necessary infrastructure, especially that of health and education in the quake-affected areas.
Then most recently also, Turkiye was at the forefront in extending help to flood victims of Pakistan by sending several military aircraft and trains loaded with relief items.
PM Relief Fund Established for calamity-hit Turkiye
Now as the tragedy has fallen on our Turkish brothers and sisters, it is our turn to come forward in a big manner in lending help to the victims of the earthquake. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has very rightly established a relief fund for Turkiye quake victims.
Setting a good precedence, the cabinet members announced to donate their one month’s salary while it has been decided that the government employees from Grade 18 to 22 will also donate their one day pay to the fund.
Other segments of society, including philanthropists, should also massively contribute to the fund. Donations in the fund will be a true testimony of the strong bonds that exist between the two fraternal countries.
As Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is also visiting Turkiye to express support and solidarity with the quake victims, we believe the visit is very timely and will also help him assess and gauge the urgent needs of the disaster-hit country.
As the scale of the disaster and freezing weather is hampering relief efforts and thousands of people are still trapped under the collapsed buildings, we understand that Turkiye will immediately require more rescue workers to meet the mammoth task of retrieving the survivors as well as the bodies.
Whilst the international community should be forthcoming in this regard and provide manpower and machinery, we must send more rescue teams, doctors, and paramedical staff to Turkiye to survive as many people as possible buried under the debris.
The scenes of death and destruction in the calamity-hit areas are really disturbing and heart-wrenching, but we have no doubt in saying that the valiant people of Turkiye will once again demonstrate their resilience and emerge stronger from this calamity.
