Pakistan Association, Japan's fund raising for Pakistan earthquake victims 11 December 2005 A meeting to raise funds for the earthquake victims of Pakistan was held at Japan National Press Center on 28 November 2005. The event started with recitation of Holy Quran by Dr. Atiq ur Rahman Ph.D. followed by a presentation about Pakistan's earthquake regarding rescue, relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation. Dr. Arshad Ali Ph.D, the presenter, stressed on the need of a long-term commitment from Pakistani expatriates especially living in Japan and also the international community towards this national disaster. Presentation also highlighted the International Donors Conference, 2005 held in Islamabad by giving details of the aid Pakistan pledged for reconstruction phase. The gathering was enlightened by the views of Mr. Fuji, a representative of the Governor of Niigata prefecture. He on behalf of the Governor of Niigata expressed his deep sorrow and grief at this difficult time in the devastated areas of Pakistan . He also thanked the Pakistan Association, Japan for taking active part in relief activities during last year's Niigata earthquake. I am here to thank your organization for invitation and assure that our government will be doing its utmost to support the government of Pakistan in this noble cause, he added.   An Urdu language student of the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS), Mr. Kanno, expressed his views in urdu and English mixed speech. We students are very much keen to help out people of Pakistan facing a natural disaster, he assured. He was also talking about holding a photo exhibition of earthquake hit areas in Pakistan at TUFS. Another student of TUFS, Ms. Midorikawa who is an amateur photographer went to Pakistan for saving Hunza valley's beauty in her camera lens but unfortunately ended up with snapping the ruins of Kashmir,   wounded faces and unimaginable destruction of October 8 earthquake. She touched the audience by expressing her experiences in Pakistan during and after the earthquake. Human beings are so helpless there, she added. Few photographs were also displayed at the event and she announced to hold a big exhibition soon of the collection from Pakistan. The event was also graced by the presence of Mr. G. B. Srinivas, representative of the Embassy of India in Japan. I think the situation described by Dr. Arshad Ali in his presentation about the earthquake is very comprehensive and nobody can describe the real pain of local people in earthquake hit areas, he said in his speech. He added that all countries of the world, including India has been involved to help Pakistan out after this natural calamity in order to see the affected people back on their feet. Followed him, Mr. Muhammad Tariq, representative from Pakistan Embassy in Japan expressed his views by saying that the destruction in the earthquake hit areas is very severe, but the contribution of all countries is admirable. Pakistan is very thankful to the government of Japan who has sent relief assistance to Pakistan. The government of Japan initially sent 6 helicopters conducting rehabilitation work for the victims of earthquake, he added.  In the Donors Conference, the govt. of Japan provided an additional $100 million as grant aid to Pakistan for reconstruction phase. He announced that around 500 Japanese have traveled to Pakistan since the earthquake. These people belong to GSGF, NGOs and the civil societies. We can not bring the people back who have died in this disaster, however we can help them who have survived, he finished with these words. H.E. Ms. Yosuko Komiyama, Member of the Japanese Parliament, attended the meeting and expressed sympathy for the people of Pakistan at this time of difficulty. Finally Mr. Malik Habib ur Rahman, the Secretary General of Pakistan Association, Japan delivered a note of thanks to the honorable guests from Embassies of India, Libya and Pakistan and the messages he received from Japanese parliamentarians, businessmen and other social workers in response to this fund raising ceremony. He also thanked the Governor of Niigata for remembering Pakistan Association, Japan's contributions during the last year's Niigata earthquake. He conveyed his special thanks to Science and Technology Expatriates of Pakistan (STEP-Japan), for their valuable contribution to this event. We need to continue our efforts in rehabilitation and reconstruction process and I assure all of you that our Association will continue to work for this noble cause, he concluded. The event came to end after the refreshment and general discussion.