KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed all federal, civil, military and provincial agencies to declare an immediate alert and mobilise all resources to ensure the security of citizens of Pakistan. All agencies have been directed to move out with their resources.
The prime minister has contacted Governor KP and has directed him to mobilise tribal administration immediately for relief, rescue and damage assessment in the affected regions.
On the directions of the PM a crisis cell has also been formed to coordinate with all federal, civil, military and provincial agencies for damage assessment and rescue and relief efforts. The cell will work round the clock.
The premier has also directed Governor Gilgit Baltistan to immediately reach Gilgit and take charge of rescue and relief efforts in the region.
Joint Secretary Prime Minister Office Kazim Niaz will head crisis management cell at Prime Minister Office. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), respective Provincial Disaster Management Authority, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) and Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) will be part of the crisis management cell.
President Mamnoon Hussain has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the natural calamity.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif has directed army personnel to reach out where required to help affected people without waiting for orders.
Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif arrived in Peshawar to personally supervise rescue and relief efforts.
Pakistan and the region, along an active continental plate boundary, is often hit by earthquakes. In September 2013, a magnitude-7.7 quake struck Pakistan’s Balochistan province, killing around 800 people. In 2005, the country was hit by a 7.6-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 73,000 people and left about 3.5 million homeless.
