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Fund Raising for Pakistan Earthquake Vicitms
Pakistan Association Japan (Regd.)
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.