ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former premier Imran Khan on Monday held an international telethon to raise funds from within the country and overseas Pakistanis for the flood victims.
According to Senator Faisal Javed Khan, who moderated the event, the former prime minister collected over Rs 5 billion in donations in 3 hours long flood telethon.
Chief ministers of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa — Pervaiz Elahi and Mahmood Khan — former premier’s ex-assistant on social protection Sania Nishtar, celebrities, and other politicians joined Imran Khan’s telethon.
Speaking during Live Telethon which was telecast by a number of TV channels, including ARY News, the PTI chief said entire Pakistan had been affected by the floods generated by back-to-back monsoon rains. He said more than 1000 people died due to devastating floods and the damages are expected to cross Rs1,000 billion.
He said that the country would have to construct more dams to save people from such devastation in future. “The sole solution to prevent the catastrophes caused by flood is to construct dams.”
During the transmission, President and CEO of ARY Digital Network, Mr. Salman Iqbal, announced a donation of Rs30 million for the rehabilitation of flood affectees.
While praising Mr Iqbal, Imran Khan said that Salman Iqbal has always come forward to help the people in need despite the suspension of ARY News transmission on cable.
The PTI chairman said that he will also make efforts for the restoration of ARY News transmission just like he is struggling for real independence besides assisting the flood victims across the country.
British-Pakistani boxer Amir Khan also joined the telethon and announced Rs5 million for flood victims. Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan, who attended PTI’s live telethon transmission, announced Rs30 million for flood affectees.
Senior journalist Sabir Shakir announced Rs500,000 donations for the flood-affected people.
The overseas Pakistanis participated in the telethon and spoke directly to Imran Khan via telephonic calls to offer their donations for the flood-hit victims.
Floods death toll nears 1100
Tens of millions of people across swathes of Pakistan were battling the worst monsoon floods in a decade, with countless homes washed away, vital farmland destroyed, and the country’s main river threatening to burst its banks.
According to NDMA data, over 1000 people have died since June when the seasonal rains began, but the final toll could be higher as hundreds of villages in the mountainous north have been cut off after flood-swollen rivers washed away roads and bridges.
