MM News

WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s Ambassador to US Masood Khan has urged upon the Pakistani diaspora to generously contribute towards relief efforts for earthquake-hit people of Turkey.

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Speaking at a Zoom Telethon organized by Pakistani American doctors, he said the severity and lethality of the earthquake in Turkey has only been partially depicted by the international media as people live with the perilous consequences of multiple disasters within the mega-disaster since February 6.

Ambassador Masood Khan said “our hearts go out to the people and government of Türkiye who are hit by one of the deadliest earthquakes in the past one hundred years and one of the biggest natural disasters of our times.”

Ambassador of Turkey to the U.S., Hasan Murat Mercan, also participated in the virtual telethon.

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The event witnessed prompt response especially from Pakistani American doctors and an amount $3,65,000 was collected within an hour-long telethon.

Masood Khan said that Pakistan responded immediately to the emergency in Türkiye by dispatching several aircraft sorties and truckloads of relief materials, Search and Rescue teams and medical squads. The Prime Minister of Pakistan visited Türkiye recently to convey the solidarity of the people of Pakistan with Turkish brothers and sisters.

He said we fully support the appeal of the UN Secretary General for at least one billion dollars to give relief in the early recovery stage. We agree with him that there is no time to lose to provide funds for the victims.

Ambassador Masood Khan lauded Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA) and its leadership for organizing the telethon and raising humanitarian assistance for earthquake response in Türkiye.