12 December 2004	Sunday	29 Shawwal 1425

LAHORE, Dec 11: The cricket bat Bollywood star Amir Khan used to hit a winning six in his Oscar-nominated movie Lagaan was auctioned for Rs6 million at a fund-raiser for the Shaukat Khanum Hospital here on Saturday night.

Mr Ali Imran of Bahria Town, the highest bidder, received the bat at the fund-raising dinner organized on the hospital lawns.

Saying that this bat was veryprecious to him, Amir said that the auction money would go to the hospital for the treatment of poor cancer patients.

Speaking to a large gathering, he said that his visit to Pakistan would be a memorable one as he had been showered with great respect and love. He said that he was lucky that he had come to Pakistan to participate in a noble cause of helping the poor. Amir also presented hospital plaques to major donors.

SKMCH chairman Imran Khan and chief executive officer Dr Faisal Sultan briefed the audience on hospital's progress during the last one decade.

They said the hospital had so far treated some 10,000 cancer patients. During the last one decade the hospital budget had soared from Rs10 million to Rs1 billion per annum.

As the hospital was also attending to patients from Sindh, they said the management had decided to establish another cancer hospital in Karachi by raising funds.

Comedian Umer Sharif and different singers performed on the occasion.