27 January 2005	Thursday	16 Zilhaj 1425

LAHORE, Jan 26: Former Olympian goal-keeper Mohammad Qasim has appealed to the President Pervez Musharraf to order the concerned authorities to make immediate arrangements for his medical treatment in the United States. Qasim has been diagnosed with cancer.

Qasim said on Wednesday that the doctors at the Shaukat Khanum Hospital had advised him to get treatment in the United States but the US Embassy had so far not issued him visa without explaining any reason.

"My three appointments with doctors in a hospital in Washington had been cancelled as I could not leave due to non-issuance of visa," Qasim told reporters.

"The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has issued a letter to the US embassy assuring of bearing all expenditures on my treatment but there is no response from the embassy," he said. Qasim said that the treatment required Rs5 million and admitted that the first instalment of Rs2 million had not been deposited with the hospital so far.

"I appeal to the president of Pakistan to issue order and I will also appeal to the American Embassy to consider my case on humanitarian grounds," he said. He said the American doctors were confident that my life can be saved after the treatment in the United States.