Imran Khan makes history with Rs 5 billion fund collection in just two hours telethon

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*ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former premierImran Khan on Monday held an international telethon to raise funds** fromwithin the country and overseas Pakistanis for the flood victims.*

According to Senator Faisal Javed Khan, who moderated the event, the formerprime minister collected over Rs5 billion in donations in 3 hours longflood telethon.

Chief ministers of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa — Pervaiz Elahi andMahmood Khan — former premier’s ex-assistant on social protection SaniaNishtar, celebrities, and other politicians joined Imran Khan’s telethon.

Speaking during Live Telethon which was telecast by a number of TVchannels, including ARY News, the PTI chief said entire Pakistan had beenaffected by the floods generated by back-to-back monsoon rains. He saidmore than 1000 people died due to devastating floods and the damages areexpected to cross Rs1,000 billion.

He said that the country would have to construct more dams to save peoplefrom such devastation in future. “The sole solution to prevent thecatastrophes 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 rehabilitationof flood affectees.

While praising Mr Iqbal, Imran Khan said that Salman Iqbal has always comeforward to help the people in need despite the suspension of ARY Newstransmission on cable.

The PTI chairman said that he will also make efforts for the restoration ofARY News transmission just like he is struggling for real independencebesides assisting the flood victims across the country.

British-Pakistani boxer Amir Khan also joined the telethon and announcedRs5 million for flood victims. Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir SardarTanveer Ilyas Khan, who attended PTI’s live telethon transmission,announced Rs30 million for flood affectees.

Senior journalist Sabir Shakir announced Rs500,000 donations for theflood-affected people.

The overseas Pakistanis participated in the telethon and spoke directly toImran Khan via telephonic calls to offer their donations for the flood-hitvictims.*Floods death toll nears 1100*

Tens of millions of people across swathes of Pakistan were battling theworst monsoon floods in a decade, with countless homes washed away, vitalfarmland destroyed, and the country’s main river threatening to burst itsbanks.

According to NDMA data, over 1000 people have died since June when theseasonal rains began, but the final toll could be higher as hundreds ofvillages in the mountainous north have been cut off after flood-swollenrivers washed away roads and bridges.