Young Global Leaders Respond To Pakistan Earthquake
Geneva, Switzerland 21 December 2005 –The Forum of Young Global Leaders announced today the creation of the Kaghan Valley Development Organization in partnership with the government of Pakistan to help the region’s reconstruction and development in the aftermath of the 8 October earthquake. The proposal follows a visit to the region on 13-16 December of a delegation from The Forum of Young Global Leaders, headed by Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, Minister of Information Technology of Pakistan The Kaghan Valley Development Organization will oversee the distribution of loans to reinvigorate the tourism industry that is vital to the greater Kaghan Valley region, where Balakot, the city that was totally decimated by the earthquake, is located. The Forum of Young Global Leaders, a non-profit and non-partisan foundation dedicated to shaping the future and based in Geneva, Switzerland, will work in partnership with the Government of Pakistan and the private sector to engender long-term investment and support for this initiative. During their time in Pakistan, the delegation of Young Global Leaders met with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Federal Relief Commissioner General Farooq Khan, Earthquake Relief and Rehabilitation Authority Head Lt-General Muhammed Zubair, and US Ambassador Ryan Crocker, in addition to spending two days in the field in Balakot, Mansehra and Muzzafarabad. The delegation included: Michelle Guthrie, Chief Executive Officer, Star Group, Hong Kong SAR; Bret Stephens, Member of the Editorial Board, The Wall Street Journal, USA; Alja Brglez, Director and Founder, Institute for Civilization and Culture, Slovenia; and Nafisa Shah, former Mayor of Khairpur, Pakistan.