Pakistan to send 171,000 tents to quake-hit Turkiye: PM

LAHORE: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said Pakistan would send 171,000 tents for the earthquake affectees of Turkiye.

During a meeting with a delegation of tent manufacturers, here, he said it should be ensured that tents which would be sent to Turkiye were of international standards.

Consultation should be held with the Disaster Management Presidency (AFAD) of Turkiye on the specifications of the required tents, he added.

The Prime Minister also constituted a committee headed by Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal to determine the quality of the tents.

The PM said in order to meet the immediate needs of Turkiye, tents should be sent via the air route.

He said a third-party validation should be conducted to ensure the quality of tents before sending from Pakistan.

He asked the tent manufacturers to fully take part in the relief efforts for brothers and sisters in Turkiye and provide tents at lower rates.

He said Pakistan was sending food, warm clothes and dry milk for the earthquake victims in Syria.

The Prime Minister said the rescue teams from Pakistan were fully taking part in activities in the earthquake-affected areas in Turkiye.

Pakistan and Turkiye had longstanding ties spread over decades, and despite its economic difficulties Pakistan would wholeheartedly help brothers and sisters in Turkiye, he added.

The Prime Minister was told that Pakistan had enough capacity to make tents for the quake affectees of Turkiye and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was in contact with Pakistan Tent Manufacturers Association in this regard.

It was told that NDMA had 21,000 winter tents which would reach Turkiye in the first week of March by air and road.

PM Shehbaz directed that immediate steps should be taken for delivering tents in Turkiye and food and warm clothes in Syria.

Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Minister of State Ayesha Ghous Pasha, Chairman NDMA Lt General Inam Haider Malik, secretaries and Pakistan’s ambassadors in Turkiye and Syria attended the meeting.