ISLAMABAD: Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lt General Muhammad Afzal has said that NDMA was working on developing a comprehensive and financially sustainable model of disaster Management.
He was addressing as chief guest at the opening session a training programme that NDMA organised for the Disaster Management and Civil Defence Department officers of the Republic of Tajikistan.
The nine-day long training programme for the Tajik officers has been divided into two components. In first phase, participants will undergo a five days theoretical training course in Islamabad, while in second phase they will participate in practical exercise at Punjab Emergency Services Academy at Lahore along with rescue teams of Punjab Emergency Services and Pakistan Army.
Chairman NDMA, while welcoming the participating of the training, said that Pakistan and Tajikistan had a shared past cultural heritage and common future challenges.
He expressed his resolve that this training will prove to be an opening to the chain of future engagement between the two countries in the disaster management sector.
While emphasising the need to revitalise and modernise the existing institutions, Lt. Gen Afzal has said that instead of raising a new department, they need to reform and strengthen old and existing departments like civil defence.
Highlighting the importance of an inclusive disaster management system, he said the government has already approved the merger of Earthquake Reconstruction & Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) with NDMA, which will be finalised by the end of the financial year.
He also apprised the participants that NDMA was creating a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and reiterated that most ERRA employees will be inducted in NDRF.
Tajik Ambassador Mr Ismatullo Naserdin expressed his gratitude to the government of Pakistan and the NDMA for arranging training for Tajik officers. He hoped that the participants of the training will learn from the Pakistan’s rich experience in disaster management sector.
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