Seminar held at the Pak-China Friendship Center under Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan

RAWALPINDI, August 18 (SABAH): Seminar was held at the Pak-China Friendship Center under Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan.

The seminar held under the chairmanship of Vice President Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan Air Marshal (retd) Farooq Habib, during the ongoing expo under National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), was attended by NGOs, academic, heads and representatives of the government and private institutions.

While talking part in group discussion, National Director Alkhidmat Disaster Management Fazal Mahmood said that for remaining safe in natural calamities and to decrease the losses, creating awareness among the community is most important. He said that government and non-governmental organizations, media and especially the educational institutions could have the most important role, adding that risk management should be included in the curriculum as compulsory subject.

He said that Alkhidmat Foundation had the chance to become part of the rescue operation after the recent devastating earthquake in Turkiye, adding that every institution and community remains ready for the natural calamities in Turkiye, adding that due to this instead of a big disaster the percentage of the losses remained low.

Dr. Ahmed Ali from UMT Lahore said that due to the hurdle in drainage of the water during the floods, the disaster increases so there is need for concerned institutions to carryout an effective timely planning to stop construction of the buildings in the way of water passage.

Chairman IRN Brigadier (retd) Faiz Hussain Shah, Head of Community and Safety Rescue 1122 Deeba Shahnaz, Amjad Mahmood Amjad from Helping Hand for Relief America, Asad Farooq Mehdi from Qatar Charity, Professor Asif Naveed Ranjha from Islamic University Bahawalpur, Professor Kamran Asif from University of Peshawar, Abdul Hadi Khattak from Islamic Relief, Mohsin Nazir from Alkhidmat Training Program, President Alkhidmat Islamabad Hamid Athar Malik, Dr. Muhammad Haroon from University of Engineering Taxila and Asif Jamal, Program Manager Disaster Management also expressed their views on the occasion.

The participants of the seminar were agreed that an effective long term planning is necessary with the cooperation of government institutions, NGOs and Community, adding that for achievement of these purposes this kind of sessions should remain continue.