Federal cabinet to donate one-month salary to quake-hit Turkiye

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Tuesday decided to donate one-month salary to earthquake victims of the “brotherly country” Turkiye, ARY News reported. 

According to details, the decision was taken during a federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which expressed condolence over the hundreds of quake-caused deaths in Turkiye and Syria, and offered Fateha for the departed souls.

During the meeting, PM Shehbaz Sharif also established a relief fund to help earthquake-hit people of Turkiye, appealing to the people of Pakistan particularly businessmen and philanthropists to donate to the fund generously.

The federal cabinet also announced to donate one month’s salary to the relief fund. It was also decided that the federal government employees of grade 18 to 22 would donate one day salary for the distressed Turkish people.

The prime minister told the cabinet members that Turkiye had been at forefront to support the people of Pakistan after unprecedented floods hit the country in 2022.

“The Pakistani nation would not leave their Turkish brethrens alone in this hour of ordeal. I am also leaving for Turkiye by tomorrow to visit the quake-ravaged areas of Turkiye,” he remarked.

He told the cabinet members that besides relief goods, the rescue teams were immediately dispatched for Turkiye to support the relief activities.

He assured that Pakistan would extend every possible support to the people of Turkiye and Syria as the whole Pakistani nation stood by the suffering people. The cabinet meeting offered Fateha for peace of the departed souls and early recovery of the injured.

The prime minister mentioned his Monday’s telephonic interaction with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in which he conveyed condolences and assured all-out support.

He told the meeting that the PIA and PAF flights as well as rescue teams, doctors and paramedics have been dispatched for Turkiye. Moreover, the supply of the relief goods will continue, he added.

The federal cabinet approved restarting the process for appointment of National Bank of Pakistan president, instructing to complete the process immediately.

The federal cabinet formed a cabinet committee to deliberate on the draft of Criminal Laws Amendment Bill 2023 and present a report in the next cabinet meeting.

PM Shehbaz to visit Turkey

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will pay a visit to the earthquake-hit Turkiye on Wednesday (February 8), announced information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb.

The minister shared the news on Twitter, saying: “Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will leave for Ankara tomorrow morning to offer his condolences to the government and people of Turkey over the deadly earthquake.”

It is pertinent to mention here that more than 4,000 people were killed and thousands injured when a huge earthquake struck central Turkyie and northwest Syria, pulversing apartment blocks and heaping more destruction on Syrian cities already devastated by years of war.

The magnitude 7.8 quake, which hit in the early darkness of a winter morning, worst to strike Istanbul this century. It was also felt in Cyprus and Lebanon. It was followed in the early afternoon by another large quake, magnitude 7.7.

The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said the quake struck at a depth of 10 km (6 miles) near the southern Turkiye’s city of Kahramanmaras, while the EMSC monitoring service said the chance of a tsunami risk was being evaluated.