• A special plane carrying humanitarian assistance left for Turkiye
• The plane was carrying an army search and rescue team
• PM Shehbaz Sharif conveyed condolences to Turkish President Erdogan

ISLAMABAD: A special plane carrying humanitarian assistance left for Turkiye on Monday night on the instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

A C-130 plane which was carrying a search and rescue team of the army left the Chaklala airbase for the earthquake-affected areas in Turkiye.

While on February 7, a Pakistan International Airlines plane carrying 50 people and 15 tonnes of assistance would leave for Turkiye. The team will include personnel of Rescue 1122.

On the same day, a C-130 flight will take 15 tonnes of humanitarian aid from Lahore to Istanbul. The assistance will include winter tents, blankets, and other essential items.

From February 8, every day on a PIA flight 15 tonnes of humanitarian assistance will be sent from Islamabad and Lahore to Turkiye and Syria.

Teams from the Ministry of Health and army medical corps will also depart for the two earthquake devastated countries.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif telephoned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and conveyed condolences over the casualties and destruction caused by the earthquake.

Expressing deep grief over the loss of life and property, the prime minister sympathized with the grieved families. He said the people of Pakistan are with the brotherly country of Turkiye and its people.

The prime minister said Pakistan will extend its maximum support to the Turkish government and the people to help them cope with the quake-caused destruction.

He said the adverse impacts of climate change were deteriorating. “The natural calamities and climate change know no boundaries, region, or ethnicity,” he remarked.

The prime minister prayed to Allah Almighty for peace of the departed souls, patience to the bereaved families, and early recovery of the injured.

President Erdogan thanked the prime minister for the condolatory call and for offering support. Erdogan said he valued the sentiments of the prime minister as well as the Pakistani people.