23 September 2022
$2m raised for Pakistan flood victims at Bestway Foundation fundraiser in London
At an event held at Intercontinental Park Lane by Sir Anwar Pervez and Lord Zameer Choudrey, Pakistan’s leading foreign investor Bestway Group invited UK government ministers and leading Asian business figures to donate money for the Pakistan flood victims. Those who attended the event included Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK Moazzam Ali Khan; Brandon Lewis MP, the Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary; Tom Tugendhat MP, Security Minister; Paul Scully MP, Minister for London; as well as former ministers Sajid Javed MP and Oliver Dowden MP Dr Murtaza Syed, Deputy Governor, State Bank of Pakistan, also attended the event.
The Bestway Foundation raised more than $2 million through its fundraising efforts while also appealing to the UK government and the international community to do more on an urgent basis to help Pakistan deal with the flood tragedy that has affected over 40 million people directly.
Lord Zameer Choudrey said: “Floods in Pakistan have caused enormous damage. Millions of people have lost their livelihood, millions have been left completely destitute and we must help them. We are mobilising the community and Bestway Foundation to collect funds to help them. We want to highlight the catastrophe that has struck Pakistan and that’s why we invited key government ministers to the event.”
The Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Brandon Lewis MP told Geo News that the UK government has provided a substantial package of support to Pakistan to deal with the aftermath of the floods. He said: “We have committed funds of £16.5 million for Pakistan and we are dealing with wider climate change issues as well and we are committing to that effort. The UK government has committed help for Pakistan and this shows our affection and desire to help Pakistan and the wider climate change issue.”
Bestway’s CFO, Haider Zameer Choudrey spoke to those at the event about the impact Bestway Foundation intends to make on the ground and that they will build homes and shelters for 5,000 families; provide usable water for 100,000 individuals; and provide food and medical supplies to over 20,000 people. He also highlighted the scale of the issue. “At a time where the debate in the UK is about the cost of living, you have the equivalent of half of the UK population with no means of surviving, let alone worrying about electricity. The impact of the floods is of such magnitude that it will take a number of years for those affected to bounce back.”