RIYADH, 11 October 2007 — The Pakistan Writers Club held a gathering Monday night to remember those who died in the disastrous earthquake that hit Azad Kashmir and the northern regions of Pakistan on Oct. 8, 2005. The meeting, followed by iftar-cum-dinner hosted by PWC President Faiz Al-Najdi, discussed the tragedy and the efforts made by the PWC to help the quake survivors.
PWC Senior Vice President Ashiq Hussain spoke about the efforts made by the PWC to raise funds and collect relief goods for earthquake victims. He said the PWC was able to collect and dispatch relief goods worth over SR3 million to the quake-affected people in Pakistan.
Faiz Al-Najdi said he had visited Balakot and Muzaffarabad in January 2006 and witnessed destruction that cannot be described in words. He said he was surprised to see young children attending tent-schools outside their camps.
He said according to reports about 10,000 school buildings had collapsed or partially damaged in the disaster that killed about 40,000 young children. Children who survived are eager to pursue their education, but they don’t have schools and are forced to sit in the open.
Others who spoke were Gohar Rafiq, Irshad Choudhry, Sanobar Sani, Ijaz Tahir Awan, Shahjahan Sherazi, Naim Awan, Mubashir Anwaar and Akran Fazal. A poetry session was also held to pay respect to the dead. The program was conducted by PWC General Secretary Rauf Moghul.