June 19, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 14, 1429

KARACHI, June 18: Abdul Sattar Edhi, renowned social worker and philanthropist, has said that the government should constitute a commission to probe into the alleged financial scams in the federal auqaf department.

Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday afternoon, he termed the department a ‘white elephant’. He said the department had allotted thousands of acres to different mosques and social institutions, but it was meting out a step-motherly treatment to the Edhi Foundation. He said the department had issued them a notice for Rs114,000 rent of their 200-yard main office situated in Mithadar which, he said, was a cruel act. He demanded of the government to allot this office to his organisation.

He said Pakistan came into being in the name of Islam, but the so-called champions of democracy and ‘white elephants’ had looted the country.

Food drive

Saying that the lawyers’ movement has yet to give anything to the poor people, the philanthropist announced that he would initiate a campaign to provide food to one million people. He said he would hold a press conference before launching the campaign from Quetta on June 19.

He regretted that the pharmaceutical firms were raising the prices of drugs and urged the government to control prices of medicines to ensure delivery of healthcare facilities to the poor.

When asked who were threatening him in Karachi, he said he could not disclose their names as he wanted to continue serving the masses.—PPI