Friday, June 27, 2014
KARACHI: Pakistan cricket legend Shahid Afridi said Friday he is planning a Twenty20 match to raise money for almost half a million people displaced by a military operation in the country’s northwest.
More than 470,000 have fled the offensive against strongholds of the Taliban and other militants in North Waziristan tribal area on the Afghan border.
Aid efforts have been stepped up to cope with the exodus and Afridi, who was born in Pakistan’s tribal areas, said he wanted to help.
“I am in talks with the authorities and will soon announce a Twenty20 match in Lahore to raise funds,” the big-hitting allrounder told reporters.
The 34-year-old was speaking at the launch of his charity foundation which will focus on mothers and internal refugees.
Afridi said the foundation had set up a 16-bed maternity hospital in remote Tangi Banda village in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
“I want to return to my country what it has given me and with an aim to serve my people,” he said.
The $160,000 hospital named after Afridi’s father Fazlur Rehman was paid for by the star, who said he had been inspired by former captain Imran Khan.
“Imran set an example for all of us,” said Afridi. Khan runs a cancer hospital in Lahore through charity.
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