AJK Government accelerates completion of earthquake hit buildings

MUZAFFARABAD, Oct 06 (APP): As the 21st anniversary of deadliest earthquake in the region, the Secretary of the State Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (SERRA) Riffaqat Hussain Khan has said that the Government of Pakistan has provided Rs1 billion to accelerate the completion of development projects in the earthquake-hit districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

The funding was provided in June 2026 by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the request of the AJK government, with the amount earmarked for completing 67 educational institutions where around 80 percent of construction work had already been completed.

According to the SERRA secretary, 14 of these projects have so far been completed and handed over to the relevant departments, while the remaining 53 projects are expected to be completed by December 2026.

The projects are part of the AJK government’s 100-day reform programme, aimed at accelerating the completion of ongoing educational infrastructure projects in earthquake-affected areas and ensuring the restoration of educational facilities.

Recalling the devastating earthquake of October 8, 2005, Khan said the magnitude 7.6 earthquake left a deep and lasting impact on the lives of survivors. The disaster affected 56 percent of AJK’s population, killing more than 46,000 people and injuring around 33,000 others.

He said more than 300,000 private properties were damaged, while health, education, water supply and sanitation, and communication facilities spread across 53 percent of the region’s area were destroyed.

The total damage caused by the earthquake was initially estimated at approximately Rs125 billion, including Rs61 billion in losses to the private sector and Rs64 billion in government offices and public facilities.

Against the estimated Rs125 billion in losses, the overall size of the reconstruction programme in earthquake-affected areas of AJK has reached Rs225 billion. Of this, Rs181 billion has so far been spent, while approximately Rs44 billion is still required to complete the programme. This includes Rs20.113 billion for ongoing projects and Rs24.013 billion for remaining projects.

Khan said the greatest loss of life in the October 2005 earthquake occurred because of poor construction standards. The absence of earthquake-resistant features in schools, colleges and universities, coupled with inadequate preparedness for disasters, resulted in the loss of a highly educated and valuable generation.

He said SERRA had undertaken 7,608 projects as part of the reconstruction programme, of which 5,878 had been completed and handed over to the relevant departments.

He paid tribute to the Government of Pakistan, the armed forces, the Pakistani people, brotherly Muslim countries, friendly nations and international organisations for their contribution to the rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations launched after the earthquake under “Operation Lifeline.”

The secretary also praised the resilience of the people of earthquake-hit areas, saying they demonstrated extraordinary courage and determination in rebuilding their lives. He said SERRA, the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA), and various departments of the AJK government worked tirelessly to assess the damage, develop rehabilitation strategies and implement reconstruction plans.

He said international organisations and NGOs had also played an exemplary role during the rescue, relief, rehabilitation and subsequent reconstruction phases.

Modern, earthquake-resistant facilities meeting international standards were constructed in the education and health sectors with the support of brotherly Muslim and friendly countries. The affected population was also trained in earthquake-resistant construction techniques for rebuilding homes and private properties.

In recognition of its efforts to promote earthquake-resistant reconstruction of private homes, ERRA received the Sasakawa Award from the United Nations in 2011.

Khan said the experience gained during the rehabilitation and reconstruction process following the 2005 earthquake would help improve disaster management and preparedness in the event of future natural disasters.

He said the destruction of government buildings and public facilities in all seven earthquake-affected districts of AJK—Muzaffarabad, Hattian Bala, Neelum, Bagh, Haveli, Poonch and Sudhanoti—had created a major gap in public service delivery. SERRA was established with a specialised administrative structure to address the challenge and undertake rehabilitation and reconstruction.

According to the latest sector-wise progress, 1,620 out of 2,718 education projects have been completed, while work on 501 projects is ongoing.

In the health sector, 119 of 160 projects have been completed and 21 are under construction. In the environment and forestry sector, 119 of 160 projects have been completed, while 43 are ongoing.

Of 223 governance projects involving government buildings, 161 have been completed and work on 60 is in progress.

Under the livelihoods sector, covering agriculture and livestock, 1,038 of 1,426 projects have been completed, while 251 remain under construction.

All 11 power-sector projects have been completed and handed over to the relevant department. Six social protection projects, one telecommunications project and two town-planning and urban-development projects have also been completed.

In the transport and communications sector, 136 of 138 projects have been completed. Meanwhile, 2,714 of 2,795 water and sanitation projects have been completed, with work continuing on 28 projects.

The reconstruction programme, officials said, represents one of the country’s largest post-disaster rehabilitation efforts and has also provided valuable lessons in earthquake-resistant construction, disaster preparedness and institutional recovery.