KARACHI: On the occasion of Pakistan Day on Saturday, a special cycling event was organised by the Karachi-based cycling group Cycologists as part of Rotary Inter­national’s initiatives towards stopping the transmission of polio virus in Pakistan.

Over 100 enthusiastic cyclists gathered at a designated spot on Khayaban-i-Shaheen in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) to sing the national anthem at 7am and then paddle through the streets of DHA Phase-VIII to reach Do Darya while enjoying the lovely morning breeze and the panoramic view of DHA Creek overlooking the mangroves.

The two-hour ride ended at a restaurant at Do Darya where Rotary Club had also planned a small event for the Cycologists and Rotarians. They were given a detailed awareness session on polio, its causes and prevention by Masood Ahmed Balli, chief coordinator of polio eradication drive, Sindh, along with Qazi Abdul Basit, area coordinator for district Malir representing the World Health Organisation (WHO), who presented a detailed talk on how Rotary Club and the WHO was supporting the government in its polio eradication efforts to help Pakistan achieve polio-free status. Irfan Qureshi and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MPA Shahzad Qureshi also spoke.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2019