ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday that Pakistan has decided to expand its ongoing rescue and relief operations for the people of Turkiye into a countrywide campaign, vowing that Islamabad would stand by Ankara in its time of need.
Deadly earthquakes that hit parts of Turkiye and Syria this week, killed at least 19,000 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless in the midst of winter. While rescuers are working to save survivors from the rubble of collapsed buildings, hopes have faded of many people being found alive 72 hours since the disaster and frustration simmered over the slow delivery of aid.
The number of people killed by the quakes of magnitudes 7.8 in Turkiye and 7.5 in Syria have been larger than in 1999 when a similarly powerful tremor killed 17,000 people in Turkey's more densely populated northwest.
On Wednesday, the Pakistani government announced the establishment of the “Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for Victims of Earthquake in Turkiye,” asking the public to “donate generously” for the quake victims.
"Government has decided to expand the ongoing rescue & relief efforts for Türkiye into a countrywide campaign," Sharif wrote on Twitter.
He said Pakistan would enlist the support of religious scholars, educational institutions and the country's business community to help the earthquake victims in Turkiye.
In a separate tweet, Sharif said he had directed all chief ministers to take ownership of the national relief campaign.
"As One Nation living in two states, we will continue to stand by our Turkish brothers & sisters," he added.
Pakistan's embassy in Turkiye shared video footage of the country's Rescue 1122 team members evacuating people from beneath the rubble.
Pakistani teams have rescued five people in Adana, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said in a statement. It added that a field hospital has also been established in Turkiye by the Pakistani team, which comprises the Pakistan army, ministry of health and Rescue 1122 officials.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said it had "so far received no news” of any Pakistani citizens dying or being injured in deadly earthquakes. She said about 23 Pakistanis have been evacuated from Gaziantep University and have been accommodated in Adana.
