Daily Times

Sir: Grief and sadness must be felt for every person who faced the huge disaster caused by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. We can only hope that Almighty Allah will save us from natural disasters.

The quake and tsunami in Japan have left thousands of people dead in addition to sweeping away whatever came in its way. I would like to highlight the responsible role played by the Japanese media in general and leadership in particular. I have not witnessed a single dead body, a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief on TV or print media. They showed restraint in their bulletins to avoid distress for the rest of Japan. Restaurants cut prices, the wealthy cared for the sufferers, disciplined queues of affected people were observed outside grocery stores and they only bought what they needed for the present so everybody could get something.

Their prime minister’s visit to the nuclear power plants is an example of combating the disaster from the front. We should learn lessons from our Japanese friends. I salute the courage and resolve of the Japanese people and government for not accepting foreign aid till the finalisation of the plans for managing the disaster.

FAWAZ KIRMANI

Rawalpindia