Dar urges business community to donate to PM’s relief fund for Turkiye earthquake

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday invited the business community to donate to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for Turkiye's Earthquake Victims.

In a press conference, he said that tax relief, applicable to charity and donations, will be implemented on the amount contributed to the fund.

“I request you to donate from the export proceeds. Turkiye is hit by a natural calamity and we need to mobilize funds for it.

Turkiye has always helped Pakistan hence we should step forward to help the brotherly nation in difficult times.”

He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday tasked the Ministry of Finance to open an account for donations to Turkiye.

Pakistan forms PM relief fund for Turkiye's earthquake victims

“This account has been opened and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has sent a circular to the commercial banks to facilitate donations,” he added.

“Parliamentarians are also considering donating a portion of their salaries to the fund,” he noted.

Dar also said he plans to hold a meeting with businesses over the next few days to discuss the outcome of government talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Turkiye and Syria earthquake

On Monday, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Turkiye and Syria, leaving over 10,000 people dead and scores injured.

PM Shehbaz said the government will send aid to Turkiye in a bid to support relief and rescue activities. On Tuesday, he ordered the establishment of a relief fund.

He was also meant to visit Turkiye but the trip has been postponed.

Earlier, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb had said the cabinet will donate one month’s salary to the fund while Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique had said a PIA plane went to Istanbul on Tuesday afternoon with a 51-member rescue team and relief items.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday there were some problems in the initial response to the massive earthquakes that struck southern Turkiye but operations are back to normal now, adding that the death toll in the country rose to 8,574.