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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Relief Campaign for Earthquake Victims in Pakistan |
Current rating: 0 |
by wayward
Email: wedwards (nospam) uiuc.edu (unverified!) |
12 Oct 2005
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Pakistani Students at UI and Urbana-Champaign American-Pakistani Community Launches Relief Campaign for Earthquake Victims in Pakistan |
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Urbana, IL 10/11/05. The 7.6 richter scale earthquake wreaked havoc in Pakistan on Saturday morning, while severe after shocks are continually hampering relief efforts at the time of this release. Casualties have also been reported in Afghanistan, Kashmir, and India. According to the government of Pakistan, the death toll currently stands at 23,000 and is likely to increase manifold, while more than 50,000 have been injured and hundreds of thousands have become homeless and severely in need of urgent relief supplies.
“The Pakistani Students Association (PSA) at the University of Illinois in alliance with the Urbana-Champaign American-Pakistani community has launched a campus wide effort to raise funds and collect relief goods” stated Ahmad Zakaria, President of the PSA, and a senior in Industrial Engineering.
“A number of local families have been affected due to the loss and displacement of their loved ones” said Salma Alam, executive committee member of the PSA, and an undergraduate in Physics.
“The PSA will be collecting funds and arranging for a shipment of container with relief goods over the next couple of weeks, and we hope that our fellow students, faculty, and community members, will show their generosity, to a country and people who have stood head and shoulder with the U.S. on its war on terror”, said Emma Qureshi, executive committee member of the PSA, an undergraduate in Marketing.
Regarding the channeling of funds, Arhum Nomani, Vice President of the association said that, “the funds collected by the PSA will be channeled through internationally recognized relief agencies such as the Edhi Foundation, which has offices in New York, and a network of operations throughout Pakistan. Funds will also be channeled through the Pakistan Embassy in Washington D.C.”
Charge d’Affaires Mohammad Sadiq has appealed to the Pakistani community to contribute generously “to help their Pakistani brothers and sisters in this hour of need”. The Embassy has opened a designated account to receive donations for the President’s Relief Fund. He also impressed on the need for the diversified Champaign-Urbana community to come together in providing a resourceful humanitarian effort.
Pakistan and its people demonstrated their compassionate nature and wholehearted generosity during the Hurricane Katrina, when the government of Pakistan donated $1 million cash and $0.5 million in relief goods for the affected victims. Several individual non-governmental organizations, such as the Edhi Welfare Trust and various local American-Pakistani organizations and individuals also made substantial donations to aid the hurricane victims. The PSA as a representative organization on campus, is now petitioning for a similar charitable attitude from their fellow American citizenry.
The PSA has also developed a system to streamline aid into Pakistan; what is required now is active financial and material participation of the community at large. Checks can be written to the” “Pakistani Students Association” and specified as “For Pakistan Earthquake Victims Fund”. The PSA will also be collecting relief supplies through several drop box locations spread throughout the campus.
About Pakistani Students’ Association
The Pakistani Students’ Association (PSA) is a registered student organization working to cater to the needs of Pakistani students and community and helping in creating awareness about Pakistan and its potential in the community of nations. PSA has had a presence at the University of Illinois for more than two decades.
For more information about organizations and entities:
Pakistani Students Association (PSA): http://www.uiuc.edu/ro/pak
Pakistan Embassy visit: http://www.embassyofpakistan.org/
Government of Pakistan visit: http://www.pakistan.gov.pk/
For more information contact:
AHMAD ZAKARIA
President
Pakistani Students Association (PSA)
Ph : 217-721-3682
Email: zakaria1 (at) uiuc.edu |
See also:
http://www.uiuc.edu/ro/pak
http://www.embassyofpakistan.org/
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This work is in the public domain. |
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Want a little more of it |
by Evance Leopt
http://msn.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
22 Aug 2006
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I would like to wish you much luck. And a lot of money. Thank you. |
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I like it |
by Kleon Indig
http://yahoo.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
28 Aug 2006
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Very many thanks for a good work. Nice and useful. Like it! |
