'After 10 years, another earthquake on October 27, 2015 has shaken up the nation and made us ask ourselves just how prepared we really are. What lessons have been learnt and what needs to be done?' writes Dr Abdur Rehman Cheema of COMSATS Institute of Information Technology Islamabad, in an opinion piece on Daily Times.
'While present in every district of the country, the civil defence department has neither been dissolved nor merged with the local disaster management authorities to function effectively. In most districts, disaster management remains a low priority. Instead of having a regular officer in charge for a DDMA, any officer is given the additional charge of a DDMA. Another important responsibility of the media and civil society is to challenge the narrative of the government in the aftermath of every disaster.'