Shahid Afridi, Jahangir Khan come forward to help minorities in fighting pandemic

Shahid Afridi file image. (Xinhua/Jamil Ahmed)


Pakistan’s renowned sports personalities Jahangir Khan and Shahid Afridi have started distributing ration and cash to the minorities after a hindu tennis player drew their attention to the plight of the community amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, international tennis player Robin Das had appealed to the Shahid Afridi Foundation (SAF) to help the minority communities in the city.

“Jahangir Khan who is president of the foundation called me and spoke to me about Das’s statement and said the minority community members whether christian or hindus must also be helped in these difficult times,” Asif Azeem, the secretary of the Karachi Sports Forum, told PTI.

The SAF has teamed up with the Karachi Sports Forum (KSF) to provide ration and cash to the needy people in the city, especially those belonging to the sports fraternity.

“We had a function today at the Roshan Khan Squash Complex where Jahangir and hockey legend Islahuddin were present and they made it clear the forum will use its manpower to distribute ration and cash among the needy minority community families in Karachi,” Azeem said.

He said in the first phase they had distributed ration bags to lower caste and poor Hindu and Christian families in the district south area.

The Karachi Sports Forum, Azeem said, was already working to provide ration to the needy players, groundstaff, guards and others associated with different sports.

“But with the Shahid Afridi Foundation now supporting us we are extending our operations and also focussing on minority community families,” he said.