Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi on Wednesday said the upcoming Pakistan Social Centre is open for all nationalities and his Shahid Afridi Foundation will offer financial support to children who seek help.
"Pakistan Social Centre is not just for Pakistanis but for all nationalities who can come and use its facilities. I thank all the people who made this task easier. My foundation will also support those children who dreamt of achieving something," Afridi said.
The cricketer was speaking at function hosted by Pakistan Association of Dubai under its "Own a Brick" programme to build its social centre.
He said his foundation is serving not just the Muslims but a large number of Hindu and Sikh communities in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces of Pakistan.
"Shahid Afridi Foundation is working on different water projects in remote areas of Sindh and there is a large number of people from Hindu community. People walk miles to get drinking water in the interiors of the province. Also, we worked in remote areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where a large number of people from Sikh community resides. So, I want to tell you that humanity is our top and foremost priority," he said.
Afridi, who was joined by other Pakistan cricketers including Shoaib Malik, Mohammed Irfan, Junaid Khan, Shan Masood and Imad Azam, has pledged to raise Dh1.5 million for the community centre's development in Dubai.
It was third round of fund-raising by Shahid Afridi for the development of the social centre being built in Dubai. Pakistan Social Centre will be the world's largest community centre for overseas Pakistanis and will have a not-for-profit Pakistan Medical Centre, a rehab/fitness facility, business incubation centre, seminar rooms, theme restaurant, sport caf, amongst many other things. A Dh15-million project, it has been divided into 15,000 bricks with each brick valued at Dh1,000. A junior brick is valued at Dh100. Each brick entitles a 10-year membership. A junior brick entitles the donator a two-year membership.
"It is a great honour for us to support this initiative. I'm sure Pakistan Association Dubai will serve the community well. I am always there for any kind of support the community needs here," Shoaib Malik said during the 'Own a Brick' dinner hosted to raise funds for the Pakistan Social Centre in Dubai.
He praised Shahid Afridi's services and his foundation's role to make this project successful.
Dr Faisal Ikram, president of Pakistan Association Dubai, hailed Afridi for his role. "There is no second opinion that Afridi lives in the hearts of every Pakistani. When I first met him, I immediately realised that he has a very soft heart and there are very few people who love the country as much as Afridi."
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