LAHORE - The overseas Pakistanis living in Canada will generously donate money for the construction of dams in Pakistan, said “I Am Pakistan Movement” Toronto President Wajid Malik.
Talking to The Nation during his visit to the native country, he said that a fund-raising event will be held on March 20 in Toronto as all the 1,500 tickets had been sold out.
The event will especially be attended by former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, renowned lawyers Naeem Bukhari, Nayyar Rizvi and other key personalities from Pakistan, he added.
He said that transparency would be ensured in the fund-raising while the names of donors would be published at the website of the movement.
He further said that a film regarding the water scarcity and power crisis in Pakistan would also be screened on the occasion to educate the expatriates about the national crisis.
He said that the movement came into being after Prime Minister Imran Khan stated many times that he would request help from all the expats for the national cause of constructing dams in Pakistan.
He added, “We have heard his call to action and in response have started #iampakistan movement. We are proud of being Pakistanis so we come together for this great cause.”
Because of the imminent water crisis in the country, he said that former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar started an initiative to construct dams not only to provide clean drinking water to future generations but also to help end the power crisis as a first step to steer the country out of crisis.
For the purpose, he said that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) set up “Supreme Court of Pakistan’s Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand Dams Fund” for raising funds as it is being directly supervised by the apex court and its account will be operated by its Registrar.
At the Pakistan’s Mission in their respective country, the expats may deposit their contributions to the fund in cash, cheques, pay orders, demand drafts, he said.
They can also make contributions through credit or debit cards, he added.
The I Am Pakistan Movement representative also said that steps were being taken in consultation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to set up a fund account in the overseas branches of Pakistani banks in different countries to raise funds for the dams construction.