Pakistani plane carrying 1,200 tents for quake victims arrives in Turkiye’s Adana

This handout picture shows Pakistan's special chartered flight, carrying winterized tents for quake survivors, arriving in Adana, Turkiye on March 12, 2023. (Photo courtesy: Twitter/PakinTurkiye)
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Updated 12 March 2023
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Pakistani plane carrying 1,200 tents for quake victims arrives in Turkiye’s Adana

  • Pakistan plans to send 50,000 tents to Turkiye via special flight operation in two weeks
  • Death toll from devastating earthquake in Turkiye last month climbs to 47,975, says Turkish official

ISLAMABAD: Another Pakistani planeload carrying tents arrived in the Turkish city of Adana on Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) confirmed, as Pakistan steps up its efforts to provide relief to the disaster-struck people after last month’s devastating earthquake.

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake last month killed 47,975 people in Turkiye, the head of the country’s disaster and emergency management agency, Yunus Sezer, said on Saturday. UN estimates that the tremors, which were felt in some parts of Syria as well, caused the deaths of 6,000 persons there, pushing the combined death toll to over 50,000.

Pakistan has announced it would initiate a special flight operation to speed up the transport of 50,000 tents to Turkiye over the next two weeks. Sunday’s flight carried 1,200 winterized, fire-resistant tents and was the first plane that kicked off the flight operation, MoFA said in a statement.

Khawaja Ahmed Hasaan, special assistant to Pakistan’s prime minister, also landed in Adana with the special flight to convey his solidarity with the people of Turkiye.

“Under the directions of the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, earthquake relief supplies mainly winterized tents are being transported to brotherly Turkiye through air, land, and sea routes,” MoFA said in a statement. It added that the relief operation would continue till the earthquake victims are not completely rehabilitated.

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was the first leader to visit the affected region to express solidarity with the earthquake survivors,” MoFA said.

Speaking to the media, Hasaan said PM Sharif was monitoring the earthquake relief operation from Pakistan himself, adding that people of the two countries are like “two hearts, one soul.”

“Ambassador Burcu Çevik from Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked the government and government of Pakistan for quick response and solidarity with Turkiye in this difficult time,” MoFA added.


Pakistan army hits Afghan Taliban drone storage facility, ammunition depot in Jalalabad

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Pakistan army hits Afghan Taliban drone storage facility, ammunition depot in Jalalabad

  • Around 435 Afghan Taliban fighters killed, over 630 injured in Pakistani military offensive, minister says
  • Several countries, global bodies have urged both sides to exercise restraint since the conflict began last week

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army struck a drone storage facility and ammunition depot of Afghan Taliban in Jalalabad, a Pakistani security official said on Monday, following Pakistani strikes on more than 50 locations in Afghanistan amid ongoing hostilities between the neighbors.

Pakistan launched Operation ‘Ghazb lil Haq’ against Afghanistan on the night of Feb. 26 following an attack by Afghanistan on Pakistani military installations along their shared border.

The worst fighting between the two neighbors in years erupted after Pakistani airstrikes targeted what Islamabad called militant hideouts inside Afghanistan on Feb. 21-22, accusing Kabul of harboring Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants behind the attacks on its soil. Afghanistan denies the charge.

A Pakistani security official, who requested anonymity, said the army was continuing “strong retaliatory action” against the Afghan Taliban and blew up multiple border posts, forcing them to abandon their positions.

“Pakistan forces are effectively targeting the bases and military installations of the Fitna Al-Khawarij and the Afghan Taliban,” he said.

“During the effective counter-operation of the Pakistani forces, the ammunition depot and drone storage site of Fitna Al-Khawarij (TTP) and the Afghan Taliban in Jalalabad was destroyed.”

Separately, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said more than 400 Afghan Taliban fighters had been killed and over 630 wounded in the Pakistani military offensive so far.

Pakistan destroyed around 188 check posts and captured 31, according to a post on X by Tarar. Over 180 tanks, armored vehicles and artillery guns were also destroyed in Pakistani air raids at 51 locations across Afghanistan.

On Sunday, Pakistani state media shared a video of what it said were Pakistani soldiers crossing into Afghanistan in the northwest to capture an Afghan post. Pakistan has seized a 32-square-kilometer area of Afghanistan, another Pakistani security official said.

Afghan officials earlier said that dozens of Pakistani soldiers had been killed and several Pakistan posts had been captured by their forces. None of the casualty figures or battlefield claims from either side could be independently verified.

Since the conflict began last week, diplomatic efforts have intensified, with several countries and international bodies calling on both sides to exercise restraint.

The United Nations, along with China and Russia, has called for calm, while US President Donald Trump said Pakistan has the right to defend itself against cross-border militancy.