ISLAMABAD: Turkey’s First Lady Emine Erdogan on Thursday gifted 20 electric wheelchairs and 10 incubators to the Pakistan Red Crescent (PRC) during a ceremony at the national headquarters of the organisation.
In the welcome address, PRC General Secretary Ghulam Muhammad Awan said that Pakistan and Turkey enjoyed a friendship that had been tried and tested many times. Both the nations had supported each other whenever disaster struck in either country. He said that PRC and Turkish Red Crescent (TRC) had worked together in the face of natural disasters and had stood shoulder to shoulder to facilitate social development.
Addressing the ceremony, Emine expressed her gratitude for the love and generous sentiments of Pakistani people for their Turkish brethren. She said that Pakistan and Turkey had strong relations and with the passage of time these relations would further be strengthened. She lauded the humanitarian efforts of PRC and TRC and their joint collaboration in mitigating the suffering of the vulnerable.
She said that the wheelchairs and incubators donated by Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) were part of an effort to support Pakistani brethren who deserve to be cared for. “I salute the courage of the disabled men, women and children who never let fear overpower them and these people deserve our special attention so that they can play a positive role in society,” Emine said.
PRC Chairman Dr Saeed Elahi welcomed the Turkish first lady and said that the bond between Pakistan and Turkey dated back to many centuries. During disasters and emergencies, Turkish people have always responded with fervour and zeal, he added. He said that when a devastating earthquake hit Pakistan in 2005, Turkey’s prime minister reached out to Pakistan with relief goods and voluntary teams.
The volunteers of PRC and TRC worked together to reach far-flung areas, he said. and added that the same sentiment was witnessed during the 2010 floods. Dr Elahi said that the Disaster Management and Logistic Centre, which was built by TRC and inaugurated by Emine Erdogan in 2009, was one of the largest in Asia and an exemplary display of the long-lasting friendship between Pakistan and Turkey.
At the end of the event, Dr Elahi presented a shield to the first lady following which Erdogan distributed the wheelchairs among the disabled persons and communicated with them.
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