Najma Akhtar's letter from Islamabad.

 

Najma Akhtar is a Pakistani singer who we are in the process off arranging an 'Indian Voice' workshop with for the Triskel Art Centre later in 2006 as part of our 'Four Corners' series of workshops from artists from different cultures and continents.

 

Najma used to be a vocalist with Jah Wobble and the Invaders of the Heart and has worked with many artists in The UK since, bringing her unique East meets West Indian vocals. See: http://www.najmaakhtar.net/

 

Najma was visiting her mother in Islamabad when the Earthquake struck, she is still there now helping with rescue and rehab and is sending us her account of the situation out in Pakistan and Kashmir

Fresh Earthquakes over Christmas in Pakistan

NEW EARTHQUAKE OR JUST A TREMOR?

 

After many nights of restlessness, I thought that tonight would be a night of tranquility and peace only because I was so exhausted.

But I woke with a panic.

At first, I thought this was a figment of my imagination and that this was not happening.

My bed was being shaken left to right.

What on earth was going on?  (Excuse the pun)

Then I heard noises and rattling as if things were moving. My suspicions were confirmed, it was a tremor.

I jumped out of bed, ran to the end of the hall to wake my mother and uncle up. It was just us at home since the rest of the family had gone to Dubai. My heart was pounding.

At that immediate time I wasn’t exactly sure what to do.

 

Everything was moving with a gentle sway. But when you think of a gentle sway, its not really gentle because the floor, walls, fans to-ing and fro-ing, wind chimes going berserk, mirrors on the walls showing moving reflections, the dangly lights hanging from the ceiling moving left to right and other general noises. Maybe I would say gentle because this time I thought I was being rocked side to side as opposed to being  thrown side to side from what I remembered from  the other major earthquake in Oct 2005.

Any way, what ever it was it was BIG.

 

Will it stop, I wondered as I stood in the doorway to the rooms thinking should I wake them up in a panic? Both my uncle and marmee were sleeping like babes, purring away happily like little kittens. It was freezing cold out side and my poor uncle who is in his late 70’s already had a bad chest infection and cold.

They were happily oblivious to this panic. Should I just let them be or wake them?

Will it intensify?

I waited a few seconds and just as I was about to wake them the vibrations stopped. I looked up at the ceiling and everything was still swinging madly, I could almost feel my heart in my throat, as it pounded away. I tried to stay calm and not panic. But, at that time I was completely alone. There was no point in calling or waking anyone to share this with because it had been at one time such a regular thing that people were now were beginning to ignore such occurrences.

As I watched the swinging lights I glanced up at the clock, it was 2.50 AM Tuesday 13^th Dec 2005

Wow what away to begin a new day!!!

 

Anyway, this was the first time that I had been physically been awoken by this type of violent motion. What bad timings for us because it only the couple of hours ago that we had decided to move back to the 9^th Floor apartment opposite the collapsed Margala Tower block.

Well that’s set us back again.

I waited for a bit outside their rooms and then crossed the hall, stopped and went back to double check that they were ok.

Yes, they were still fast asleep in dream land.

I then went back to my bedroom put my socks and cardi on, could nt sleep so I decided to watched BBC World News to see whether they would mention this. I knew in my heart that this had been a biggy.

Surprisingly, nothing was mentioned so I switched a Pakistani Channel called GEO and my god it was all happening here. Information was coming from all over Pakistan and India. Reporters and members of the public were being interviewed from all over.

This Earthquake had been felt in Islamabad, Delhi, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Lahore, Mansehra, Rawlacot, Abbotabad, Muzaffarabad, Gilgit, Bagh, Balacot, Peshawar, Chitral, Batgaram, Sawat, many other major places and places in India.

On the news, they were trying to establish where the epicentre had been and it was, at that stage, difficult to say whether this had been a tremor or a new earthquake.

 

But from what was being said, this had been the strongest so far.

Then when the SEISMIC CENTRE IN PESHAWAR stated that this had measured 6.7 on the Richter Scale I nearly fell of the sofa.

Oooh my god, my first thought were for all those poor people up in the mountains plus all the relief workers that had been exposed to this. The epicentre had now been located in a different place, The Afghan Hindu Kush Mountain Range.

Hence this was not a tremor BUT A NEW EARTHQUAKE.

Landslides had now started; big boulders had fallen near roads where people were living.

Generally people were terrified because it had reminded them of the previous earthquake. The sound, magnitude and noise, had covered a very wide area.

Even people that had previously refused to come down from the mountains were now coming down. Up in the mountainous regions we are looking at sub-zero temperatures and even minuses. Many people had been asleep but woke and left their homes in panic. Even people living in tents came out but it’s too cold for women and children to be in the open. If cars, trucks and lorries were around then people reverted to sleeping in them.

Even though it lasted approximately 25 seconds, people were still terrified.

 

 

Today is the 25^th Dec 2005 Christmas Day and at approximately 1.15pm guess what, yup; we had another big one that shook everything silly. It was about 6.4 on the Richter Scale.

Oooohhhh, Scary.

 

 

 

There is more to come firstly because in response to some of my letters, some very very kind people have been inspired to organised charity shows, send me money and I have received mail from all corners of the globe with affection and offers to help This all due to wonderful caring people like yourself that have been have been forwarding my mails to friends.

I just want to say thank you soo much to everyone.

 

Secondly, my sister and I were invited to a UN early recovery Cluster meeting at the UNDP Head quarters last week, they are doing VERY good things in many different areas. Also 10 days ago Salma, my sister, my brother Shahzad and I went to Secretariat in Islamabad to see General Farooq, who is one of the main people connected with the relief effort.

Thirdly we met THE PAKISTAN POVERTY ALLEVIATION FOUNDATION. They are also doing a hell of a lot of good work.

 

I would like to share these meeting minutes with you, so that you will at least have an idea what is being done here.  

 

Hope everyone reading this is well and I wish you all of what is good on this Earth in blessings, mind and heart. Merry Christmas Everyone and a very Happy New Year to all.

 

[I really don’t mean to make people unhappy by all this frightening news or spoil the fun at such a festive time but even the Tsunami wasn’t really that too long ago either. We just need the media to keep highlighting such issues]

 

Keep safe, healthy and warm

Regards

Najma Akhtar

 

See photos sent back from the effected areas of Pakistan and Najma's letter of thanks below:

Dearest Louise,  Phil B,  Cathal, Arran, Bogeda, Cahal, Snatch, WIGGLE, 
Dj Dr Ian Fiasco and all the names I haven’t mentioned.

I read your email Louise and was so touched that it brought a little lump in my throat and my eyes welled up. I know how much work goes into organising concerts charity or otherwise. I am absolutely touched by all your hard work, thoughts and efforts. I just have to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for doing this with all your good intentions.

Also big gratitude to all the people that supported this event, because without them this would not have been possible.

I am so far from my home which is England and boy o boy am I home sick right now....I have just paid some money to get my air ticket extended till 2nd week in January 2006 [ that’s if I can last that long here ]

It becomes so worthwhile when I know that there are people like you guys there trying so hard to do something that staying in Pakistan definitely becomes meaningful to all of us........

I will surely put your generously donated money to good use......no wasting.

Today we received a letter from one of the Brig's in charge of one of the Relief camps. He has mentioned some of the things that we have done and also a list of things that they are looking for. I will scan these letters and send them to  you later so u can see where some of the money may go.

Once again Thank you for your efforts - Najma

 

There are 3 letters so far, I have pasted them below in chronological order.

 

NAJMA AKHTAR’S EARTHQUAKE ACCOUNT

19th October 

Salaams all...This is najma here...very much in Islamabad.......I witnessed the tower coming down since we were on the 9th floor opposite the collapsed tower not more than 50 yards from it  and experienced the full magnitudes of the earthquake ...................oohhhhh terrifying is an understatement.........

But by the grace of god we are some of the lucky ones that have survived.

At Approximately 8.50 am on Sat 8^th October 2005, I was ready to leave for the office and my little cousin was ironing her shalwar Qameez and getting ready to come with me…..

My mother was brushing her teeth ………when all of a sudden we felt a little vibration but enough to realise that this was an earthquake.

My marmee had also unfortunately experienced the strong quake in The USA in 1989 with my sister so she new that this was gonna be trouble …..

Marmee comes running out saying ‘bete, this is an earthquake’ ….to which I said ‘I know’ trying not to sound too worried.

I thought it would pass in a few seconds, but the intensity just grew……..and the noise ooooh ‘what was it’, whatever it was, it was scary like hell.

I ran to the front door which I tried to unlock but it took time  because by now we were all literally being thrown side to side………

I got both my mother and cousin to stand under the beam of the front door and of course we could not stand straight. The quake seemed to go on forever……30 secs, 45 secs, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, and 4 minutes. I think it went on for at least 5 maybe 6 minutes…….

         Meanwhile the noise just became deafening. I though this was it ‘the end’.

I came out of our front door……and took a quick look left of the outside balcony which is exposed to the air ……….all I know that what I saw put me in shock.

I saw this 10 storey high rise called  Margala Tower going down like a stack of cards. It was on its way down and I could see the big huge flat white slab of the roof that you  all must have see on the TV/news, moving down………the noise together with the dust and smoke was something that I will never forget, it was almost a reliving of 9/11.

I started screaming and crying not for me or us but the first thought were of all the children and people in that building.

It was for the kids I used see everyday from my balcony when I have my morning tea. They would come out at a particular time with their school bags to go to school in this Black car and the Guy who works for the UN. who also had pick-ups and drop offs by the UN car……..

From our 9^th floor flat we get a wonderful serene view of the mountains and Faisal Mosque. I had also given an interview for a Pakistani newspaper the night before from our balcony at apprx 11.15pm and we had our sehri on the balcony at 4am just that very morning. Then in a couple of hours it was gone.

After seeing this, within split seconds I got my mother and cousin to move from our front door……marmee didn’t want to move, but my fear was ‘what if our building comes down too and because we were are situated at the end of our block one often sees in movies how the ends  and balconies tend to fall… ……. By this time one just could not even stand straight. It was like being in one off those crooked houses in the fun fair. We were being violently jolted to and fro.

We managed to get to the end of the corridor, by that time I was in tears and screaming to the other residents to leave ………they had nt seen the building collapse…..

….we got to the stairs and started walking down…….more and more people joined us as we walked down.

I was impressed with the orderly way in which the people were moving, there was no mass hysteria, panic, pushing shouting or screaming.

It was I think only when people came out of the front entrance that they grasped the enormity of the situation.

We had, like everyone else run out, without, dupattas, we were bare footed and there was glass everywhere, we left our mob phones, everything and most of the flats were unlocked.

Everyone was stunned. One just couldn’t take their eyes of what were seeing.

It was an unbelievable sight and of course at that time all we could see was our situation and had no knowledge of the magnitude of the catastrophe. What had happened was only the little pea in the pod. Or just the tip of the ice berg

We moved down towards the left of the building. Some women and children were crying, there were old people too. There was dust everywhere.  Most of the people did nt know what to do. But I remember looking up at the end tower of Margala and there were people trapped on the top floors. Some brave men from the ground were already starting to climb the rubble to try to rescue them. I went to one of the security guards to tell them to tell the management to close off all gas, electric and water supplies to our building which they said they had already done.

The last thing I remember seeing was that someone from the top floor of Margala throwing down some sheets that had been knotted together plus some ladders were being put up which were of course not long enough.

We somehow managed to leave after that and went to our uncle’s place. They were equally distraught.  

I returned to the site after about 1 hrs to see if I could get out flat locked for fear of looting, which we all know happened all over the world.

By then the roads were blocked and there was utter and complete chaos. There were hundreds and hundreds of onlookers there.

All exits and entrances to our building had been blocked which was a relief that everyone’s personal possessions were safe.  

Anyway with extreme difficulty they let us into the building. My legs and hands were trembling as we ran up 9 floors in case another quake should come.

With super speed we grabbed just a few personal things like passports, mobile telephone some clothes, money, shoes and flat keys. It was so eerie there wasn’t a soul in the building. I didn’t even want to look out of the window and within a few minutes we were running down the stairs. 

THE REST IS ON GOING

NAJMA

 

To be edited later for mail outs

We are continuously experiencing after shocks in Islamabad some of which are very strong (5.4), and it is worrying to think about how people are managing in the northern areas. In the last few days we have had huge electrical storms with frightening thundery hurricanes. There ahs been drastic fall in temperature. Whats most needed now are houses (pre fabricated), blankets, sleeping bags, tents and medical equipments such as:

 

Everyday we are experiencing tremors and some are quite big ........its like if there is the slightest vibration every1 gets scared......... just as i write this mail quite big one tremor happened .....peopla have left the building where  i am mailing u from. Hmmm i stayed put ..well then we are running every 2 hours, its scarey but we have to work and can it get worse than the 7.6 that we have had ??????  

I  have hired a camera man and want to make a docu rather like Michael Palin AND HIS TRAVELS ..... i only thought of this a few days ago because the unity of the pakistan people has inspired me to want to do this ..the whole situation here is very moving ......beyond words .....

All the TV channels are covering it well and some one the shots are just so graphic and too painfull to watch ...shots which i am sure are very much edited out in the UK ...........................................

But I want to do this film from my our personal experience not from a journalist point because everyone is doing the jouralist thing  ........but from najma akhtars personal experiences.....

 

Time is critical as the first snows have already fallen. We need Pre- fabricated houses ie houses that are easy and quick to assemble .......,blanket, medicine ....jabs for tetnas, measles, tec

do u know anyone in these areas?.......if so please contact Pakistani embasseys where ever u are , what ever country u are in. PIA are flying all this aid into pakistan for free......

 

Its a very desperate situation here.

thanks

najma

 

2nd HELI TRIP EVEN FURTHER NORTH IN PAKISTAN AND UPDATE

 

2nd November

For the last 5 days we have been going to various relief camps where mainly the Kashmiri refugees have come to….… ….some camps are very organized and some are just sheer chaos. The people are so desperate.

We have been taking food for ‘IFTARI’I for about 700 people everyday i.e. for them to break there fasts at sunset. It’s a very moving scene when we do this, because they are village people with pride and don’t like to take handouts.

We went to one of the latest or newest camps just out Islamabad called BARA KAHU, it’s on route to Murray and Muzafarabad, so it’s almost like the first port of call for the refugees. The camp is very basic …..more and more people are arriving everyday. We have now been there three times i.e. 3 evenings, one evening we managed to take something as simple as hot tea for 600 people. It was difficult to do but we managed. You just cannot begin to imagine how grateful people were just to receive a hot hot cup of Desi Chai.

More people still arrive there with nothing at all except their megre clothes they have on their backs.

Once you leave Islamabad within 15 minutes one is effectively heading north and it becomes mountainous. The temperature drop is evident. I was shivering when I got out of the car.

Some people say these people are used to this type of weather, yes but if you don’t have warm clothes or a roof over your head or even a fire to keep you warm it’s a huge battle against the elements esp. where little children, the old and vulnerable are concerned

Yesterday 31^st October 2005, I was at Chaklala air base again and have done a documentary on DHL's relief efforts......

Met people from United Nations JOINT LOGISTICS CENTRE etc...They say not a penny has arrived here in the last 10 days ...and they are very very worried .......caz money low rite now ........they may have to pull out ......then what....... ????

Flew again up north in the American heli’s. We went in a group of 4 Chinooks.

I just felt so privileged to have done this for a second time. It was awesome. Just to feel the positive energy and willingness of everyone there wanting to help.

There is never a quiet moment at the air base. Helicopters of all shapes and sizes and planes coming and going all day long.

The Americans, British and all the other international relief teams are truly doing an amazing job...

This time we flew much much further north and as before we were not told the location of our destination. This was again another drop off relief mission.

I managed to get an interview of a local there, but it was too noisy and windy because of the helicopters.

We went past a place called Alalia and back to Muzafarabad. picked up more wounded and civilians from both places.

To begin with the views are spectacular and one can only gasp in utter amazement at the beauty of the mountains and valleys.

But on closer examination ……… the devastation is frightening .........huge huge land slides ...I mean mountains that have crumbled and parts of mountains sliced in half ......huge chunks fallen as if chizzled out.....land which looks  as if it has been turned inside out, thousand of trees fallen, houses that have caved in, desperate people waving to us for help I mean people in areas where relief cannot get there. Valleys where thousands of people used to live completely gone, vanished without a trace. I mean the landscape has been permanently altered. All covered by mud, stones, and debris. Rivers and streams that have nothing but rocks and boulders in them. We just sat and watch shaking our heads in disbelief …. And this is all visible from the air… ...so imagine what it must be like on the ground.....eeeeeeee my heart goes out to all those people lost who didn’t even stand a chance and those that are still alive.

We have to help to prevent another natural catastrophe. Through people dying of hypothermia and starvation.

The harsh Himalayan winter is closing in fast.

Time is critical 

People desperately need

 

Small gas cookers and the fuel to keep them going

Small pots and pans

Fire wood [to cook with to keep warm with]

Lanterns

Candles

Matches

Warm clothing [cardigan, jumpers, trousers, coats, jackets]

Socks

Shoes

Scarves

Balaclavas

Gloves

Tents

Bedding. [Blankets, mattresses, camping / sleeping bags]

Children’s soft toys.

Najma

 

Najma wishes everyone belated Diwali & eid mubarek TO ALL MY GOOD FRIENDS

 

5th November

 

The last 10 days of Ramzan is very special and Salma and I have been very very busy sorting out food for hundreds of people in the relief camps for when they break their fasts.

Also Salma has spent no less than couple thousand pounds of her own money to buy things for the needy.

So a team of us have been going literally everyday to various bazaars buying clothing, shoes, socks, quilts [ there was none available in Islamabad so we went outside to buy these],children’s clothes, soft little toys, straw mats, cardigans and jumpers etc

These things were purchased not in 10’s and 20’s but in hundreds.

 

Then we had to find a warehouse to store them until we found transport to take them personally to the affected areas. And of course we were still all fasting.

 

Its been a lotta hard work, with mental tension, and ‘oooh my god how are we to do this’, because we ended up with trucks of stuff.

We are on route right now. The account of which I will tell you all later.

But right now I have been very lucky to have got access to an email at Balacot, one of the most affected areas……….

I did not have time to respond to many emails that I received.

 

So many many thanks to all my dear friends that have wished me EID MUBARAK and DIWALI MUBAREK

I TOO WISH U ALL BELATED HAPPY DIWALI AND EID MUBURAK….

 

…………ALL YOUR WARM THOUGHTS IN THESE TROUBLED AND SAD TIMES ARE SO SO GREATLY APPRECIATED THAT IT BRINGS TEARS TO MY EYES.

IF ONLY U GUYS COULD SEE WHAT WE HAVE JUST SEEN IN THE LAST 3 DAYS IN KASHMIR………

 

NAJMA AKHTAR

 

Further accounts from Najma's experiences will appear in later newsletters

 

If you would like to contact Najma please send your email to us and we will forward it to her.