• PM Shehbaz Sharif formed a committee to streamline relief operations
• The committee will be headed by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal
• He said Turkiye helped Pakistan during the floods of 2010 and 2022

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a high-level committee to streamline relief operations for earthquake victims of Turkiye and Syria.

The prime minister, while chairing a meeting in Islamabad to review the ongoing relief activities, said the high-level committee would ensure the supply of relief goods to Turkiye and Syria on a priority basis.

The committee will be headed by Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal and comprise of Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Education Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain, Religious Affairs Minister Mufti Abdul Shakoor, NDMA chairman, Pakistan’s ambassadors in Turkiye and Syria and Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi.

PM Shehbaz Sharif directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to increase coordination with provincial governments to speed up relief activities and set up emergency collection centers in every district of the country to collect funds for the earthquake victims.

He said Turkiye helped Pakistan during the floods of 2010 and 2022 and today despite limited resources, Pakistan will spare no effort to help its Turkish brethren. He said fundraising should be done in schools, colleges and universities to help the earthquake victims of the friendly countries.

The meeting was briefed that an air corridor has been established to send aid supplies to Turkiye and Syria and teams of Pakistan Army, Air force, PIA and NDMA are taking part in the relief activities.

He also instructed the authorities concerned to arrange blankets, warm clothes, baby food and tents while ensuring the quality of the relief goods being sent to Turkiye and Syria.

The prime minister said that despite limited resources, Pakistan would leave no stone unturned in supporting their Turkish brethren.

He said that Pakistan established an air corridor to supply relief goods and a convoy of trucks would soon leave for Turkiye and Syria.

The meeting was told that a team along with the equipment for a 30-bed mobile hospital was already serving in Turkiye while another mobile hospital was being dispatched along with staff and equipment. Moreover, rescue and Pakistan Army teams were engaged in relief operations in Turkiye.

Pakistan’s ambassador in Turkiye apprised the meeting of the statistics of destruction caused by earthquake in Turkiye. The prime minister directed him to play his role to strengthen contacts between the institutions of both countries.

The meeting was told that besides relief goods, rescue teams had reached Turkiye and Syria and taking part in the relief operations.

Besides, the PIA was also ensuring regular flights from Islamabad and Lahore to Turkiye for supply of relief goods. The truckloads of relief goods would also leave for Turkiye and Syria within few days.

It was told that a countrywide campaign was also being run for support to the quake victims. The relief amounts can be deposited in the relief fund established by the prime minister.

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