Quake comments were taken ‘out of context’: Firdous Ashiq Awan

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan on Wednesday said her quake comments were taken ‘out of context’, ARY News reported.

Awan while interacting with media in Mirpur, Azad Kashmir strongly condemned twisting her statement about the earthquake. Firdous Ashiq Awan said that she had made the comments on how social media is changing the country and not on the earthquake.

“A specific media group twisted my statement”, she continued.

She said Prime Minister Imran Khan is getting time to time report about the rescue and relief operation in AJK while being in the United States (US). The federal government will fully compensate the losses suffered by the people due to the earthquake in Azad Kashmir.

The SAPM further said the government will sit with Azad Kashmir government and the National Disaster Management Authority to evolve a way forward for the relief and rehabilitation of the quake-affected people.

Awan said the government of Pakistan stands with people of AJK in this situation and will not leave them alone.

She said twenty-four people were killed and four hundred others wounded in the calamity.

She said that three hundred and seventy-seven people have been discharged after treatment. Fifteen serious patients have been shifted to CMH.

She assured that the divisional hospital of Mirpur will be provided with all the necessary equipment including the portable X-Ray to treat those wounded in the quake.

The 5.8 magnitude quake shook parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Punjab, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) leaving multiple people dead and injured.