PM Imran expresses solidarity with families of 2005 earthquake victims

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his message on National Resilience Day, stressed upon the need for strengthening the district disaster management authorities to implement policy and plans at local level in the wake of natural calamities.

The nation is observing National Resilience Day today (Monday) to express solidarity and sympathy with families who suffered natural calamities.

It reminds the nation of the devastating earthquake of 2005 that wreaked havoc in Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country by causing immense damages to life, property and infrastructure.

“I express solidarity with the bereaved families, who lost their loved ones due to devastating earthquake on 8th October 2005. Since then we have been repeatedly affected by both hydro-meteorological and geo-physical disasters of enormous magnitude,” the PM said in his message.

The PM maintained that Pakistan observes this day as “National Resilience Day” to not only pay homage to our people who lost their lives due to these disasters, but also as a day of renewed national resolve for resilience.

“This occasion calls for urgent need to implement a paradigm shift from response-oriented approach to a proactive, integrated and holistic approach to Disaster Risk Management aligned with global frameworks including the Sendai Framework for DRR and global Sustainable Development Goals. Such an approach envisages mitigation through a mix of structural and non-structural measures, putting in place strong response mechanisms and recovery plans to minimize losses,” said the PM.

The PM said that this ocassion also underpins the need for preparing communities to better combat such adversities being the usual first responders.

“Today we have a robust institutional structure for disaster management in the form of National and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities. We now need to strengthen the District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) that are supposed to be the actual implementing bodies of DRM policy and plans at local level. This will be one of the most important components in our local government system,” the PM concluded.