ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office said on Monday that Pakistan stands in solidarity with Türkiye in the wake of the massive earthquake there, adding that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is mobilising all available resources to assist the Turkish government in relief operations as well as post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction phases.
“The government and people of Pakistan have received the news of a massive earthquake in Southern Türkiye earlier on Monday, with deep sorrow and anguish,” Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a statement following a powerful earthquake of 7.8 magnitude hit Türkiye as well as Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and some other Middle Eastern countries, killing hundreds.
She said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke to the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to extend “our heartfelt condolences to the brotherly Turkish people on the tragic loss of life, and offered all possible support in the relief effort.”
She added that Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also spoke to his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu to offer condolences and express solidarity and reiterated the offer of support and assistance.
On the instructions of the prime minister, she added that the NDMA is mobilizing all available resources including winterized tents, blankets and other critical life-saving supplies. Urban Search and Rescue Teams trained to operate in disaster-hit areas are being dispatched with their equipment and medicines, she added.
She said that Pakistan’s Mission in Ankara remains in constant touch with the relevant Turkish authorities to identify any additional requirements for the earthquake-affected areas.
“Pakistan stands incomplete solidarity with the brotherly people of Türkiye in the wake of this unprecedented natural calamity. Beyond the immediate relief effort, we will continue to work with Türkiye in the post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction phases,” she said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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