KARACHI, March 15: The Edhi Foundation donated 20 emergency lights and sirens to the cash-starved Fire department during the past week. Apart from the Fire department, police mobiles of the Kharadar and Mithadar police stations have also been fitted with emergency lights and sirens, a senior official of the foundation told Dawn.

The equipment, donated to the department, worth Rs180,000, include 10 emergency lights and an equal number of sirens, fitted with announcement system. City government Chief Fire Officer Kazim Ali told Dawn that during the first 10 days of Muharram, the department was in dire need of the equipment for its firebrigade engines.

"We appreciate the generous donation made by the Edhi Foundation and will also welcome similar donations from different NGO's in future due to the financial crunch faced by the department," the CFO maintained.

Senior official of the foundation, Rizwan Edhi, said that they had imported the lights and sirens from China in bulk quantity for the ambulances. Due to the sensitive nature of the Saddar town, we had donated the emergency lights and sirens to police vehicles belonging to the Kharadar and Mithadar police stations, few months back, he added.