4th anniversary of earthquake 2005 Pakistan

4th anniversary of 2005 earthquake is being observed on Thursday which hit northern Pakistan's Azad Kashmir, North West Frontier Province (NWFP) & Islamabad on this day four years ago.

The day has been started with special prayers for the soul of victims of the quake as well as progress and prosperity of Pakistan, the private channel AAJ TV reported.

In Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Kashmir, sirens sounded in the morning during which all kinds of traffic came to a standstill for one minute to pay homage to the victims.

A prayer ceremony was also held at Government High School in Balakot, the town hardest hit by the temblor, on the mass grave of184 girls. The participants observed two-minute silence on the occasion.

Similarly, rallies, seminars and symposiums are also being held in various parts of the affected areas including Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimber districts in the memory of the victims of the devastating earthquake. The special programs are being held to raise awareness among the masses as how to deal and face any natural catastrophe with patience and practical means.

The 7.6-magnitude earthquake in 2005 devastated much of northeastern Pakistan, killing more than 73,000 people and leaving over 500,000 families homeless.

Four years later, even with millions and millions of rupees coming into the country for reconstruction and development in those areas affected by the quake, there are still many families living in tents in Azad Kashmir.

According to the local newspaper DAWN, over two-thirds of 13,066 projects proposed for Azad Kashmir and the NWFP are either incomplete or still in the planning stage.

The rehabilitation project by the name "New Balakot City" for the affectees rendered homeless following the horrific earthquake in Balakot, has yet to be completed despite collapse of four years, the private channel GEO News reported.