The 14th anniversary of the devastating earthquake of October 8, 2005, which had jolted Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), is observed across the country today.

On this occasion, Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed deep grief over the loss of lives and pays tribute to the martyrs who lost their lives in an unfortunate incident, he said through his message.

He said, “The earthquake incident left unforgettable memories of disaster, pain and sorrow. The Pakistani nation showed sacrifice, humanitarianism and a spirit of goodwill otherwise the present system was never been able to handle the situation.”

“The present government is committed to stabilize and improve the system, an effective Disaster Management System has also been established through the Parliament Act”, PM added more.

One minute silence was observed at all District Headquarters at 8.54 AM.

Quran Khwani, prayer ceremonies, documentaries show depicting events of miseries, pictorial exhibitions, awareness walks, candle vigils, seminars and speech contests were held in all ten districts of the state.

Main Prayer Ceremony was held at University Ground Muzaffarabad.

All stations of Azad Kashmir Radio are broadcasting documentaries and discussions on the observance of the day.

On October, 8, 2005 about 7.6 tremors on Richter scale shook parts of the country at 08:52 am local time, caused massive destruction putting it higher than the massive scale of destruction of the Quetta earthquake in 1935.

Approximately 138,000 people were injured and over 3.5 million rendered homeless.

According to official figures, 19,000 children had died in the earthquake, most of them in widespread collapses of school buildings.

The earthquake affected more than 500,000 families.

In addition, approximately 250,000 farm animals died due to collapse of stone barns, and more than 500,000 large animals required immediate shelter from the harsh winter.

In Islamabad, over 70 people were killed and 100 others injured in the temblor that brought down Margalla Towers in a matter of seconds because of design faults than the might of the quake that measured 7.6 on the Richter scale.