Pakistan Monday observed the second anniversary of October 8 2005 killer earthquake that devastated vast areas of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Azad Kashmir. The high intensity quake affected 3.5 million people living across 30.000 sq km of areas. In a message on the occasion, President General Pervez Musharraf reassured the nation that the government has not forgotten the sufferings of the earthquake affectees and said people met the challenge with unmatched courage. He was all praise for Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority or ERRA for successfully converting adversity into opportunities. We as a nation can also hold our heads with pride that we faced this challenge with dignity, honour, courage and an unmatched spirit of patriotism. Musharraf said it is indeed a long and arduous task to rebuild a 30,000 square kilometer area which had been reduced to dust and debris, and rehabilitate 3.5 million souls living across one of the most difficult terrains of the world. The president said he feels satisfied that in a brief period of time, hundreds and thousands seismically safe structures, including houses, hospitals, educational institutions, roads, bridges and water supply schemes have been reconstructed on the principal of Build Back Better . He noted that the ongoing process of development has been bringing about phenomenal socio economic changes in the entire area. The reconstruction process has generated new opportunities of self-reliance and self-confidence among the people of the affected areas. Musharraf said affiliation of more than half a million people with the reconstruction business has ushered in new era of economic activities in the area which would help improve the living standard of the people. He hoped that the local and international help for the affectees would continue till the completion of reconstruction and rehabilitation. We hope that the love and care that the international community, international and national NGOs, the expatriates and the people of Pakistan displayed in addressing the challenges of a great calamity would continue to be with us till completion of reconstruction and rehabilitation operation in every quake hit area, the president said. He assured that the government would utilize every resource at its disposal to provide the affectees even better facilities than they enjoyed in the past. This, he added, will create conducive environment for them to live a better life.
