Ramadan stirs grief in Pakistani quake zone

MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan, Sep 25 (Reuters) The Islamic fasting month of Ramadan began in sombre mood in northern Pakistan today, nearly a year after an earthquake struck the mountainous region, killing 73,000 people.

Mosques, many still bearing the scars of the 7.6 magnitude quake on October 8, were full of the faithful today, some shedding tears for lost loved ones.

It was the third day of the fasting month when the earthquake struck.

''The month of Ramadan has revived our pain. This morning I wept bitterly remembering the son I lost,'' said GM Mufti, a resident of Muzaffarabad, the capital of the Pakistani part of the mountainous Kashmir region.

Muzaffarabad, a small city nestled beneath peaks at the juncture of two river valleys, was close to the epicentre of the quake and suffered the worst damage.

Government offices, schools, colleges, shops and homes collapsed in seconds.

The quake, Pakistan's worst natural disaster, left about 3.5 million people homeless.

Many survivors are still living in tents, or in simple wood and corrugated-iron huts as another winter approaches. Reconstruction has hardly begun and is expected to take years.

Many mosques were also destroyed in the quake, their minarets felled like trees. Many were severely damaged and could not hold prayers for months.

But on the eve and on the first day of fasting, every mosque still standing in cental Muzaffarabad was full of devotees.

''We missed our prayers, particularly taraweeh (special night prayers during Ramadan) last year, but with the blessings of the Almighty we will try to make up this month,'' said Abdul Qayyum outside one of the city's mosques. ''WE MISS YOU'' Teenager Sabeeh Munir broke into tears as he and his five siblings remembered their father, Munir Anwar Kashmiri, who was killed when their house was flattened.

''He would bring us dozens of things to break the fast,'' said Munir.

Turning to a portrait of his father hanging in their tent, Munir said: ''Papa, there is no charm in life without you. We miss you, we miss you.'' Many people visited cemeteries early on Monday, tidying up their loved ones' graves.

''He was young. He left us too early,'' said Khawaja Salahuddin of his 19-year-old son.

Emotions are still raw and so are nerves.

The approaching anniversary of the disaster has brought fears of another quake.

Some people have moved out of damaged homes into tents because of the swirling talk of another disaster.

''We've learnt that a quake may occur in the first week of Ramadan so we've moved into this tent as a precaution,'' said Mohammad Abdullah, standing next to his home.

A government official urged people to ignore the rumours.

''I request people not to get panicked or spread panic. This will further the problems of survivors,'' said Zahid Amin, head of city's municipal committee.

''I also appeal to the rumour mongers: For God sake don't add to the people's miseries.''

Reuters