MUZAFFARABAD: A special prayer ceremony was held at the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (UAJK) to pay tribute to the victims of the catastrophe, which claimed the lives of thousands of people on this day, 17 years ago in 2005.
At least 200 students and six faculty members of the university were among the thousands of people killed in the devastating earthquake that hit the region in 2005.
The ceremony was held at the monument of the martyrs in the City Campus of AJK university which was attended by the Registrar Prof Dr Ayesha Sohail, Dean Faculty of Sciences Prof Dr Ghulam Murtaza, Associate Dean of Health Sciences Dr Bashirur Rehman Kanth, Chief Librarian and Meritorious Professor Dr Nadeem Haider Bukhari, In-charge City Campus Prof Dr Wajid Aziz Lone, Director Advance Studies and Research Dr Muhammad Raffique, President Academic Staff Association Dr Nazneen Habib, President Administrative Staff Association Israr Qadri, Chairmen, Heads of Departments, Faculty Members, University Officers and a large number of the employees.
Speaking on the occasion, the Registrar of the university, Prof Dr Ayesha Sohail while paying glowing tribute to the sacrifices of teachers, students, and employees who were martyred in the earthquake, said that their sacrifices will never be forgotten.
She said that the earthquake of October 8, 2005, annihilated the whole infrastructure of state capital city of Muzaffarabad and its adjacent districts besides, severely damaged the university as more than 200 students, six faculty members, and staff died in this disaster. The City Campus of the university, which was completely destroyed, was rebuilt with generous assistance from the Turkish government, and the King Abdullah Campus at Chatter Klass Constructed by the government of Saudi Arabia, she added.
Dean Faculty of Sciences Prof Dr Ghulam Murtaza, Chief Librarin Prof Dr Nadeem Haider Bukhari and Associate Dean Health Sciences Dr Bashirur Rehman Kanth while talking on this occasion said that the memories of the tragedy of October 8 will always be fresh in our minds. They paid rich tributes to the armed forces of the country, national and international NGOs, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the Pakistani nation for extending unprecedented help to the quake effected affected people of AJK in the wake of one of the worst tragedies in recorded history speakers maintained.
