Mirpur (ajk): Kashmir Orphan Relief Trust (KORT) marked 21 years of humanitarian service with a ceremony at its Akhter Abad complex, paying tribute to the victims of the October 8, 2005 earthquake and highlighting its two-decade-long efforts to support orphaned and underprivileged children through education, care and rehabilitation.
Former adviser to US President Donald Trump and KORT’s first ambassador in the United States, Sajid Tarar, was the chief guest. Sardar Zarif Khan, permanent representative to the United Nations in New York for the Pakistan Council for Social Welfare and Human Rights,
KORT Founder and Chief Executive Chaudhry Muhammad Akhtar, addressing the gathering, recalled the devastating earthquake that left thousands of families shattered and countless children deprived of parental care.
He said the organisation was established out of a commitment to ensure that children orphaned by the disaster would not be left at the mercy of circumstances but would receive education, proper upbringing, care and opportunities for a dignified future.
Highlighting KORT’s broader humanitarian mission, Akhtar announced that a modern hospital being constructed by the organisation at Jatlan would involve an estimated investment of Rs12.5 billion.
He said the project aimed to provide quality healthcare, particularly to poor and deserving people, ensuring that financial constraints did not prevent anyone from accessing essential medical treatment. He added that KORT’s mission extended beyond supporting orphans to serving vulnerable segments of society deprived of basic facilities.
Paying tribute to KORT’s 21-year journey, Sajid Tarar said the organisation had transformed the lives of orphaned and deserving children by providing them with education, care and self-confidence.
He reaffirmed the Pakistani and Kashmiri diaspora’s commitment to continuing its support for the institution, saying its work represented a lasting example of humanitarian service transcending geographical boundaries.