After facing the dreadful consequences of the massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan northeast coast last week, both the government and the people have started recovering from the tragedy. Although it may take a couple of years, their main concern at the moment is to rebuild the destroyed areas as quickly as possible. Knowing well the people of Nippon, since the great tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which this scribe witnessed in mid-1945 and followed till August 1947, as a member of the occupation army in Japan, the resolve of the Japanese is remarkable. The nation was united like a rock and they rebuilt the country in 15 years. And the Japan we see, of course before the quake, seemed to be a miracle Undoubtedly, the people of Nippon with some financial support from the international community will be able to meet the present challenge successfully, and in fact sooner than we expect. The strongest earthquake ever recorded has unleashed the most terrible tsunami, which has washed away more than a 1,000 people, besides wounding several and completely destroying infrastructure and property worth trillions of dollars not yet fully recorded. More than eight million homes lost power, as a 10-meter high wave sent shipping containers, cars, etc crashing through the streets and across open land farms destroying everything in its path. One shudders to see while watching this tragic scene on the television channels. In the past, this scribe has witnessed several tragedies of similar nature in Pakistan as well. For example, a massive earthquake, perhaps less in magnitude, in Quetta, in, 1935; followed by the tragic migration of six people across the Indo-Pak border in 1947; and the tragedy fall of Dhaka in 1971. Besides this, a series of earthquakes, in 2008, and the merciless tidal waves destroying the coastal villages in 2010, which led to severe destruction were unforgettable. However, the tsunami that has hit Japan is truly a great catastrophe. Nevertheless, the impact and consequences of natural disasters, both on land and in the oceans, can cause havoc anywhere in the world and Pakistan is not an exception. Pakistan currently is facing tremors of various degrees such as inflation, corruption, lawlessness and suicide bombings, in almost all of its provinces. But the question is: Are we ready to face another challenge at a time when the nation is in the grip of a terrible political and economic tsunami? The international community has shown its lack of trust and credibility in the Government of Pakistan and wants it to do more in the war on terror. Even though Pakistan is doing its best to remove the trust deficit, probably Japan has surfaced as the first and foremost priority for the international community to provide financial aid and assistance to it. Naturally, the priority of Pakistan for receiving aid is likely to be downgraded. If it happens, Pakistan has to be ready to face the challenge. The answer is therefore to girdle up our loins and focus our attention on a one-point agenda of achieving self-reliance at the earliest possible time. Our leaders understand and believe that it is necessary for the survival of this nation, but nobody seems to practise it. The tsunami in Japan is a warning for the people of Pakistan. This is a trying moment. The survival of Pakistan is at stake. Let us not fail. Everyone has to do their duty towards our beloved motherland created after the great sacrifices of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The writer is the President of the Pakistan National Foundation.