Turkey is in need of all the assistance Pakistan can provide. Prime Minister Shehbaz requests donations to the Prime Minister’s relief fund.
According to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan would provide Turkey with all the assistance it can in the wake of the devastating earthquake that has left more than 20,000 people dead and thousands more injured.
Additionally, the premier invited citizens to contribute to the Prime Minister’s relief fund.
Speaking to the media at the airport in Lahore, PM Shehbaz presented 100 tonnes of relief supplies, including winterized tents, food, and medical supplies, to the residents of the earthquake-stricken nation.
The people of Pakistan, according to Shehbaz, “stand in solidarity with their brethren in misery and would do all to help them reconstruct their lives.”
He also recalled how, following the terrible earthquake that struck Azad Kashmir in 2005 and killed almost 80,000 people, Turkey had built an air bridge with Pakistan.
The prime minister had already received a briefing on the collection and delivery of aid from Pakistan to Turkey and Syria.
He was told that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was organising and rushing relief supplies from several Pakistani cities to the earthquake-affected areas.
“We will do all in our power to assist the Turkish brothers… We haven’t experienced a calamity like this in a century, and we can sense the suffering and loss of the Turkish people, he said, comparing them to “two hearts and one soul.”
The prime minister announced that his administration had made the decision to expand the ongoing rescue and relief operations for Turkey into a national support drive.
He added that efforts will be made to enlist the assistance of the business community, religious leaders, and academic institutions in this respect.
Shehbaz also mentioned that an air bridge had already been established to send aid to earthquake-affected nations and that the National Logistic Cell’s (NLC) trucks will be transporting 100 tonnes of aid to Turkey via Iran.
A PIA 777 aircraft delivered aid to Turkey earlier in the day from Lahore, and today another 30 tonnes would be airlifted from Islamabad.
Additionally, another shipment of 40 tonnes of aid will leave Lahore on Saturday (tomorrow).
The prime minister passionately pleaded with the general populace, business sector, and charitable organisations to step up their efforts and send winterized tents, blankets, food, and clothing for families who lost everything in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake.
Also see Pakistan extends aid to Syria, Turkey after catastrophic earthquake
He also praised interim Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi for his fast action in gathering and delivering the aid supplies.
The Turkish Council General expressed appreciation for the government and people of Pakistan’s show of solidarity and noted the two nations’ close ties.
