Lahore, 10 September: Pakistan Football Federation (PFF)’s President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat,MNA, has directed the football-relate peoples of Pakistan to celebrate Eid Ul Fitr with simplicity and sobriety in view of the devastating flood, air crash and other unfortunate incidents in the country. He further called upon the peoples to offer special prayers for the departed souls who have been lost in the killer flood and extend their maximum help to those who have survived the disaster and are in great need at this challenging time.
Faisal directed all the concerned quarters to celebrate Eid with simplicity and contribute generously towards the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for mitigation of flood affectees.
He also sent his “sincere and deepest condolences” to the families and friends of the people who died in the Airblue plane crash near Islamabad on 28 July.“Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those touched by this horrible accident. The PFF and its affiliated units stand with the people of Pakistan in this moment of tragedy,” Faisal said. Airblue flight 202 crashed in the Margalla Hills shortly before it was supposed to land, killing all 152 people on board, including two soccer-related persons – Diya FC’s midfielder Misha Dawood and ex-PFF Congress member Haji Sher Muhammad Lehri..
Also AFC Disciplinary Committee Chairman and FIFA Disciplinary Committee member, Faisal also thanks FIFA President Joseph Sepp Blatter, AFC Chief Mohamed bin Hammam and Acting Chairman of The Football Association Roger Burden for Humanitarian response in helping victims of Natural catastrophe.“ Blatter will soon hold a meeting of his executive body to finalize the schedule of investigation team which will visit Pakistan later this month for designing several projects and FIFA Football for Hope Clinics and for finalizing strategy to tackle the flood devastation in order to provide relief to the victims of the terrible flood that devastated parts of Pakistan. FIFA had also indicated it would do something – with Record Humanitarian support to PFF – for the flood sufferers.
“Eidul Fitr is round the corner and preparations are underway. Some would celebrate it with pomp and show, some with simplicity and some won’t for various reasons. And there are some people, miles away from their ancestral homes, who do not remember even their names. Pakistan is facing an uphill task at the moment and we should be very simple in celebrating coming Eid ,” concluded Faisal. At the end, he prayed to Almighty Allah for fast rehabilitation of flood affected people and for harmony and prosperity of the country.