We followed our guide out of Imran Khan's residence to an unassuming leafy suburb of Lahore, not far from the house, there stood a small modern building. What struck me about it at once was it's matrimonial syncing with the traditional architecture. You wouldn't expect it gazing over from across the street: An amazing building, every nook and cranny of which was well thought-out. The woodwork so wondrous, so intricate and lovingly preserved, the ceiling so high, so unexpectedly captivating that for a moment I thought, we had inadvertently walked into Lothlórien, the sanctuary for Elves in Lord Of The Rings. Whatever maybe said about the movie, I did like those sets and special effects. I chuckled to myself all the while, half expecting Gladriel to step out of a room any moment.
Whilst I was lost in my fantasies admiring the building, Aleema Khan didn't disappoint me when she came out of her office to greet us. A smart, confident woman, quietly reflecting her brother's persona, led us into the board room.
We didn't have any formal appointment, but she very kindly, accommodated us in her busy schedule for a quick casual chat. Not known to many people, at least outside of Pakistan, Aleema Khan acts as Imran Khan's right hand in his philanthropic endeavours, a board member of the foundation, she has been overseeing the flood aid.
When asked, what was the priority when trying to reach out the flood affected, she said, "Most villagers were more concerned about the lost livelihood and their ability to stand back on their feet than immediate shelter." Which is an astounding fact! It goes to show the resilient spirit of the ordinary men and women of Pakistan who would rather get seeds as donation to sow back in their farms and get the wheel of life going again, than stay in camps and sit there, waiting with hat in hands. In complete contrast to the rulers of the country, ironically.
The foundation has proudly collected a lump-sum of $5,813,020.98 so far, a figure shown on their website. http://imrankhanfoundation.org/
A majority of that amount has gone on the initial relief efforts and then on seeds distribution and the development of model villages sympathetic to the indigenous architecture, in the worst-affected areas. It has to be said the foundation has the credibility of one of the most transparent and reliable local NGOs. Was there a need to do more? I had to see for myself.
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| Aleema Khan |
After passing on my particulars and officially submitting my project details to the head of marketing, Mr. Abid Hussain, we had thumbs up for our next stage. we were going to leave for Islamabad at 3:30 AM in the wee hours of the morning.
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| Abid Hussein- Head Of Marketing IKF |
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