The Mazar-i-Quaid was illuminated pink on Saturday as part of solidarity with breast cancer patients and survivors.

Pink Ribbon Campaign, in collaboration with Government of Pakistan, National History and Literary Heritage Division and administration of Mazar-i-Quaid, illuminated one of the most sanctified places in the country — the Mazar-i-Quaid — in solidarity with the 40,000 women who die each year due to breast cancer.

The initiative has been taken to draw attention to early detection of breast cancer and in camaraderie of patients and survivors of breast cancer in Pakistan.

"The illumination is a part of Pink Ribbon's annual breast cancer awareness drive," said chief executive of the Pink Ribbon Campaign, Omer Aftab.

Pink Ribbon Campaign celebrates the month on October as 'PINKtober' to urge people to become a beacon of hope for women and families who have lost their loved ones, he added.

Speaking about the importance of pink illumination of one of the Pakistan's most sacred places, he said: "This is a historic moment in our struggle of fighting against breast cancer in Pakistan. Through the illumination of this iconic structure, our message of saving lives from breast cancer will reach out to millions of Pakistanis across the country".

Aftab also announced the formation of Pakistan's first dedicated Breast Cancer Hospital where state of the art treatment facilities will be provided to all poor breast cancer patients free of cost. He also appealed the philanthropists to come forward to help building the facility.

"This [Mazar-i-Quaid] is the place where once this great nation had shown its high spirit of generosity to build this iconic structure and donated more than 20 million for the cause, once again standing at the same place we are appealing to the philanthropists across the country to show spirit alike to save precious lives of our women," he said.

"As the saying of our great Quaid that 'We should take the women along with us as comrades in every sphere of life'. It is our national responsibility to take care of the women's health issues so they can live healthy and play their role in progress and prosperity of Pakistan side by side to men," Aftab added.