2005 earthquake: 19th anniversary marked amid unfulfilled promises

MANSEHRA: The survivors on Tuesday observed the 19th anniversary of the 2005 earthquake in Balakot amidst grief and unfulfilled promises.

The survivors of the red-zone of Garlat and Balakot, which had turned to ruins in the 2005 earthquake, gathered at the mass grave of over 63 students at the Government High School Balakot and offered fateha for the departed souls.

Over 79,000 people were killed when the earthquake of 7.6 magnitude hit parts of the country, with its epicenter about 19 kilometer north of Muzaffarabad in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.Over 17,000 people, most of them women and children, were martyred in the tragedy in Mansehra district. The students of the Government High School Balakot, which had collapsed in the tragedy, as well traders visited the mass grave and offered fateha for those who embraced martyrdom in the tremors.

“We can’t forget the tragedy we experienced some 19 years ago due to the deadly earthquake,” Javed Iqbal, the president of Traders Association in Balakot, told reporters.Iqbal said that the people of Balakot were still suffering the brunt of the tragedy as dozens of schools were yet to be rebuilt.

Assistant Commissioner, Balakot, Basharat Bibi also visited the mass grave at the school and offered fateha for those who embraced martyrdom in the earthquake. She said that the tehsil administration was working to address problems and issues faced by the local residents.

“It was a huge tragedy as a large number of people had lost their near and dear ones. The government is trying to address all issues being faced by the affectees, “she added.The survivors of Balakot, who were still living in makeshift houses, said that the government should allot them plots at New Balakot City Housing Project.

“This project, which was initiated by the then president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf in 2007, with a Rs12 billion fund, is still in the doldrums, “ said MPA Munir Hussain Lughmani.He said that he had also raised the issue at the floor of provincial assembly a day earlier demanding an immediate development of the mega housing project.

“We want allotment of the plots to survivor families of the red-zone of Balakot and Garlat as early as possible,” he added.Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Khalid Iqbal told reporters that the New Balakot City Project was handed over to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government by the federal government. “And work on the vital project would be resumed and plots would be allotted to survivor families soon,” he went on to add.