Pakistan offers help to quake-hit Iran

Pakistan expressed sympathy with the victims of the devastating earthquakes that hit Iran on Saturday. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf in a message to President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmedinejad expressed condolences on the victims of the earthquakes that struck Tabriz, killing around 220 people. The Prime Minister offered to extend assistance to the government and people of Iran at this hour of trial. The Prime Minister has issued directives to the concerned authorities in Pakistan to immediately establish contact with their counterparts in Iran and determine the nature and the kind of assistance, which Pakistan can extend to the people of Tabriz, according to (Geo News). He said, “Natural calamities pose a serious challenge to all our countries. No region is immune to it. We need to develop a comprehensive strategy at the national, regional and international levels in order to deal with natural disasters.” Earlier, Two strong earthquakes struck northwest Iran on Saturday, killing 220 people and injuring more than 1,500 as buildings were reduced to rubble, Iranian officials said.