Daily Times

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday telephoned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and conveyed condolences over the casualties and destruction caused by the earthquake which jolted Turkiye as well as Syria. Expressing deep grief over the loss of life and property, the prime minister sympathised with the grieved families. “The people of Pakistan are with their brotherly country of Turkiye and its people. Pakistan will extend its maximum support to the Turkish government and the people to help them cope with the quake-caused destruction,” the prime minister said. He said the adverse impacts of climate change were deteriorating. “The natural calamities and climate change know no boundaries, region, or ethnicity,” he remarked. The prime minister prayed to Allah Almighty for peace of the departed souls, patience to the bereaved families, and early recovery of the injured. President Erdogan thanked the prime minister for the condolatory call and for offering support. Erdogan said he valued the sentiments of the prime minister as well as the Pakistani people. On the instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif a special plane carrying humanitarian assistance left for Turkiye Monday night. A C-130 plane which was carrying a search and rescue team of the army left the Chaklala airbase for the earthquake-affected areas in Turkiye. While on February 7, a Pakistan International Airlines plane carrying 50 people and 15 tonnes of assistance would leave for Turkiye. The team will include personnel of Rescue 1122. On the same day, a C-130 flight will take 15 tonnes of humanitarian aid from Lahore to Istanbul, Turkiye. The assistance will include winter tents, blankets, and other essential items. From February 8, every day on a PIA flight 15 tonnes of humanitarian assistance will be sent from Islamabad and Lahore to Turkiye and Syria. Teams from the Ministry of Health and army medical corps will also depart for the two earthquake devastated countries.