National Resilience Day perfect tribute to 2006 quake martyrs: Shafqat Mahmood

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood on Monday appreciated National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) chairman Lt Gen. Omar Mahmood Hayat for aptly suggesting the appropriate name for October 8 as ‘National Resilience Day’.

He said living nations always learn from their past and strive for a better future.

”Addressing the National Resilience Day observed by NDMA, the Minister said Pakistan is directly hit by climate change and also a water scarced country which is quite alarming.

The country like other regional countries was undergoing recurring disasters, adding that the earthquake 2005 that shook Kashmir, emergency situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) in 2009 and super floods in 2010, were unparalleled in the world history of disasters, he said.

“These disasters not only caused massive human life losses rather impact economy of the country whereas the in time assistance and help by the nation, overseas expatriates, global humanitarian organizations, international donors and friendly countries helped to cope with the situation,” he maintained.

The minister said, “I wish Pakistan will never face any natural disaster but it gives a sense of comfort when NDMA comes into mind which is prepared to respond to the disasters in a befitting manner”.

In the prevailing scenario where cycles of droughts, earthquakes and floods hit the country it is required to pay due consideration to disaster preparedness other than disaster response, he remarked.

He also assured his ministry’s complete support for the execution of Pakistan Safety School Framework Project as the federal capital would serve as a laboratory for executing disaster preparedness programmes.