A year ago on 8 October, a devastated earthquake struck Pakistan, leaving behind widespread destruction and enormous loss of life and property and extensive damage to economic assets and infrastructure. More than 80 thousand people lost their lives, 128 thousand people were injured, about 3.5 million people were affected and 0.6 million houses were destroyed. The areas of the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) were dealt with most serious blow and suffered extensive damage of economic assets and infrastructure with social service delivery, commerce and communication either damaged or destroyed.

The Government of Pakistan responded quickly to the earthquake emergency. Although communications with the most severely affected areas and populations were severed, the President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz visited affected sites the first day after the disaster. Two Army Divisions were moved into NWFP and AJK and set up five advanced staging posts for facilitation and distribution of relief goods. President’s Relief Fund was established to mobilize resources for relief efforts. The Prime Minister outlined a 12-point national strategy for reconstruction and rehabilitation and appointed a Federal Relief Commissioner with the overall responsibility for overseeing relief efforts targeting shelter, food, clean water and immediate relief care. The Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) was set up to facilitate the rebuilding and repair of damaged infrastructure including housing, roads, bridges, government buildings, schools and hospitals.

Despite the magnitude of the tragedy, the Pakistani nation rose to the challenge to help their brethren in a need of hour. The spontaneous out pouring of compassion and generosity by the people of Pakistan both at home and abroad on a scale never witnessed before. The spirit of sharing and caring witnessed during the earthquake days was indeed remarkable. From voluntary relief workers and organizations to the officers and jawans of Pakistan Army each stand to help victims of the earthquake.

While the destruction wrought b y the earthquake was unprecedented, the prompt and positive international response too was unprecedented. In response to the Government of Pakistan’s appeal, international assistance started arriving within days of the earthquake. The world community expeditiously extended all possible humanitarian assistance and support to the people of Pakistan to overcome the impact of this tragedy. The prompt and positive assistance provided by the international community had been a source of tremendous encouragement and strength to the people of Pakistan.

The bonds that cement the people of Pakistan and Iran were never reflected better than the Iranian response to the earthquake. President Ahmadinejad was one of the first Heads of States who called President Pervez Musharraf and condoled with him on this tragic event. The government and the people of Iran reacted to the massive disaster in Pakistan as if the tragedy had struck their own country. In a gesture reflective of the close fraternal relations between the two countries, the Speaker of the Iranian Islamic Consultative Assembly, Dr. Gholamali Haddad Adel presented a cheque for Rials 200 million to the Ambassador of Pakistan for relief and rehabilitation of the victims of the 8th October earthquake. The amount was contributed by Iranian Parliamentarians from their salaries. During the Donors’ Conference in Pakistan on 19 November 2005, Iran offered US$100,000/- in cash and US$200/- million as a soft loan for relief and rehabilitation of quake-hit areas in Pakistan. The medical teams and relief supplies from Iran were among the first to reach Pakistan. Later it contributed generously in reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. A fifty-bed field hospital, ten ambulances and a van sent by Iran for relief work after the earthquake was donated to Pakistan. The government of Iran also offered to establish an Orthopedic Rehabilitation Centre near the earthquake-hit area to provide specialized medical treatment and artificial limbs to those who suffered amputation. Iran has proposed to build a ‘Model City’ in the earthquake-affected areas. In addition, Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), Ministry of Health and Medical Education and a number of charity organizations in various cities of Iran collected relief goods and made invaluable contribution for quake victims in Pakistan.

The earthquake of 8th October was an unprecedented disaster. In addition to the enormous human toll, the damage assessment of the quake-hit area was estimated at approximately USS 5.2 billion which includes estimated cost for relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation of the victims. The international community in the shape of various governments and international development organizations stepped forward and pledged assistance for the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts underway in the earthquake affected areas at the Donor’s Conference held in Islamabad on November 19, 2005.

The reconstruction of the affected areas is being carried out on modern lines. Sufficient resources and funds are being made available for the reconstruction phase, which would be utilized for construction of new and well planned towns with proper infrastructure and erection of modern and earthquake-resistant structure in place of the damaged buildings. Till now the Government has distributed about Rs. 56 billion among earthquake affected people and Rs. 26 billion has been distributed among the people for the construction of houses destroyed in the major earth quake. The remaining amount has been distributed among the people as compensation due to death, injuries and as a livelihood. Construction of 0.6 million houses, 6,500 schools, 800 health centers and 6,600 km of roads is underway in the October 8 quake-hit areas. All the affected schools and medical health centers were made functional at alternative places. The excellent rapport exists between the donor agencies and concerned government departments and the work is being carried out smoothly in the quake-affected areas to ensure timely completion of various projects.

Undoubtedly, the reconstruction and rehabilitation work in the quake-hit areas is a gigantic task. But the Government and people of Pakistan are determined to convert this tragedy into opportunity with the continuous support of international community.