KARACHI: Thar Foundation and Shahid Afridi Foundation have formally entered an agreement to work together in the areas of health, education and drinking water in Tharparkkar, one of the poorest districts of Pakistan.

This partnership is aimed at making sustainable and productive social interventions in the backward area of Thar, where the people were facing serious social and economic issues.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Chief Executive Officer of Thar Foundation, Shams-ud-din A.Shaikh and Chief of his organisation Shahid Afridi said both the organizations would work together in establishing and running schools, hospitals and build safe drinking water infrastructures, including ROs, in targeted areas of Tharparkar district in Sindh province.

They have also agreed that all the social uplift schemes would be run through professional organizations of the health and education sectors.

For this purpose, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TF Shamsuddin A. Shaikh and Advisor to SAF, Zeeshan Afzal on this occasion. The MoU was co-signed by Engro President, Ghias Khan and SAF chief Shahid Afridi.

" We would welcome every individual and organisation to work for betterment of the people of Tharparkar," Shaikh said.

Shamsuddin A.Shaikh said TF had planned to construct a 100 bed, state-of-the-art hospital in Islamkot to be managed by the Indus Hospital. SAF would sponsor the construction of mother and child block', which would be named as 'Shahid Afridi Foundation Block'.

He informed that TF had planned to construct up to 50 solar RO plants that included pre-treatment and mineralization units along with operation and maintenance cost, whereas SAF would sponsor the construction of as many RO Plants as possible.

TF would also build eight schools one each in tehsil of district Tharparkar and would be run through The Citizen Foundation (TCF), Whereas, SAF had shown an intent and willingness to consider sponsoring one of the TCF schools.

To a question, Shamsuddin Shaikh said his company SECMC had seventy percent jobs to the local and had also initiated for their skill development.

"Unless the living standard of Tharis is improved, any development activity there would be meaningless," he remarked.

Shahid Afridi said SAF had a mission to enable world understanding, goodwill and peace through the improvement of health, support of education, eradication of poverty, helping the needy and to see Pakistani people prosper, educated and healthy in the upcoming years.

To a question, Shahid Afridi said at his planned academy in Karachi, the youth would not only learn about sports but many courses would be offered to them.—APP