‘Help Caravan’ of Minhaj Welfare Foundation reaches its destination

Dozens of trucks carrying relief goods for the affectees of Malakand Division and Swat reached their final destination. ‘Help Caravan’ that consisted of 25 trucks started its journey on May 23, 2009 from the central Secretariat of Minhaj-ul-Quran International under the leadership of acting Nazim-e-Ala Sheikh Zahid Fayyaz. Director MWF, Dr Shahid Mahmood, Ahmad Nawaz Anjum, Dr Tanvir Azam Sandhu, Muhammad Aqil Malik, Bilal Mustafvi, Shafiqu-ur-Rehman Saad, Muhammad Amjad Jutt, Mian Tahir Youqub, Sajid Nadeem Gondal, Zaheer Abbas Gujjar, Qazi Mahmood-ul-Islam and Sajid Mahmood Bhatti also accompanied the Caravan. Central leaders and staff of the secretariat saw off the Caravan with their prayers. Amir-e-Tehreek Faiz-ur-Rehman Durrani led the prayer.

The relief goods included such items as clothes, fans, water coolers, tents, buckets, utensils, domestic crockery, hand fans, plastic sheets, text books for children, note books, biscuits, toffees, toys, eatable stuff, ghee, rice, flour, pulses and medicine etc.

The Caravan reached Regal Chowk, The Mall where reception camp was put up in order to welcome the participants of the Caravan. Workers from Lahore chapters and large number of sisters of Minhaj-ul-Quran Women League were present there.

Here participants and people at large gave a red-carpet welcome to the Caravan. Hameed-ud-Din Mashriqi of Khakhsar Tehreek and leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf were also present to see off the Caravan. Governor Punjab Salman Taseer was the chief guest at the ceremony organized to see off the Caravan. Talking to the media at the occasion, Governor Salman Taseer appreciated the services of Minhaj Welfare Foundation. He said that contribution of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri to different fields was phenomenal. People like him are national asset. Governor Punjab and political leadership saw off the Caravan for the next destination.

Local chapter of MQI welcomed the Help Caravan at Shahadhra and Muridka. Here people and local leaders showered rose petals on the participants of the Caravan. It reached Gujranwala at 4 pm according to set route. Minhaj Welfare Foundation Gujranwala had set up a relief and reception camp at the railway station where representatives of Minhaj Youth League, MSM and other forums of MQI welcomed the Caravan under the leadership of Imran Ali Advocate.

At that occasion, a truck and cash donations were handed over to Dr Shahid Mahmood on behalf of local journalists. Acting Nazim-e-Ala Sheikh Zahid Fayyaz briefed the media about the Caravan. After the Zahur prayers, the Caravan left Gujranwala and reached Gujrat. Here local chapter of Minhaj Youth League welcomed the Caravan outside the city and conducted them to the main city in a form of procession. The reception party included all forums of MQI Gujrat. It handed over a truck and cash donations to the participants. Dr Shahid Mahmood spoke to the media representatives at the occasion. The Caravan left Gujrat for its next destination at 5:30 pm. Local organization received the Caravan when it reached Lala Mausa. It also handed over cash and other donations to Director Welfare Foundation Dr Shahid Mahmood.

The Caravan reached Kharian at 6 pm. The office holders of local chapter of MQI showered rose petals to welcome the participants of the Caravan. All kinds of donations and relief goods collected at a relief camp there were handed over to leaders of the central Caravan. From here the Caravan left for Siray Alimgir after Asr prayers where hundreds of workers of MQI received the Caravan. The participants were carrying banners and placards with welcoming slogans written on them. Relief goods and cash donations were handed over to the main Caravan here as well.

‘Help Caravan’ reached Jehlum at 7:15 pm. All forums and local organization welcomed the Caravan under the leadership of Prof Muhammad Saleem. The local chapter of Jehlum gave away one truck of relief goods. A large number of local media were also present at the occasion. Sheikh Zahid Fayyaz gave briefing about the activities of Minhaj Welfare Foundation to the media there. After the evening prayer, the Caravan left for Deena where hundreds of workers were present to receive the participants of the Caravan. Local chapter also gave one tuck of relief goods and cash donations to Dr Shahid Mahmood.

At 9 pm, the Caravan reached Gojar Khan where office holders of local organization welcomed the Caravan under the leadership of Pir Syed Saddique Shah. The next destination of the Caravan was federal capital Islamabad. The organizations of Islamabad and Rawalpindi received the Caravan upon its arrival at the Faizabad at 10 pm at night. A large number of workers were also present at the occasion. Minhaj-ul-Quran Youth League had set up a reception camp at the Faizabad. Different private and official TV channels covered the event there. Sheikh Zahid Fayyaz briefed the media. The Islamabad organization also handed over one track carrying relief goods to the leaders of the central Caravan. The dinner arrangements were also in place there.

On May 24, 2009, the Help Caravan left for its final destination i.e. Mardan from here at 12 noon. The number of trucks had reached twenty five at the last stage. At 5 am in the morning, the Caravan reached Minhaj Tent Settlement near Mardan after passing through Mardan Interchange on the Motorway. At 11 am, the local chapter organized a press conference. Acting Nazim-e-Ala Sheikh Zahid Fayyaz, Director MWF Dr Shahid Mahmood and Sardar Mansoor Ahmad Khan addressed the press conference.

Sheikh Zahid Fayyaz briefed the media about the relief activities under Minhaj Welfare Foundation. He told the media that MQI took up the responsibility to do whatever possible to mitigate the sufferings of our displaced brethren under the banner of MWF. On the special instructions of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, fund collection campaign was launched across Pakistan including Lahore in which people are participating with enthusiasm. Mian Tahir Youqub, Dr Tanvir Azam Sandhu, Iftikhar Shah Bokhari, Zia-ur-Rehman Khan and Sajid Mahmood Bahtti were also present at the occasion. The journalists were conducted to the truckloads of relief goods after the press conference. On the same evening, Minhaj Public School was also inaugurated where arrangements for education and training of children have been made. Minhaj Welfare Foundation has worked out a formula by which relief goods are being distributed. It should be kept in mind that Minhaj Welfare Foundation has accomplished this task under the special direction and instructions of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri.