MITHI: Boxer Amir Khan visited drought-hit Thar on Thursday, along with his wife Faryal Makhdoom Khan, and said he was shocked when he heard news about unabated deaths of children in the area because of malnutrition and outbreak of diseases.

The British boxer of Pakistani origin vowed to make all-out efforts to provide clean drinking water to every village in Thar to curb fatalities among children and pregnant women. He urged Tharis to send their children to schools and said his charity organisation — the Amir Khan Foundation — would raise funds to provide more facilities to the people of the area, especially relating to health and education.

He said he found the Tharis to be a peaceful and patriotic people and their hospitality was unmatched even though they lived in miserable conditions. “Thar is the most beautiful desert in the world and every Pakistani should come forward to help its people in their difficult times.”

Amir Khan also urged the government to make sincere and concerted efforts to mitigate the miseries of Tharis and provide them with more facilities of healthcare, education and drinking water.

He said that he had read a lot about the region and was happy to be among the Tharis who, despite facing droughts and leading difficult lives, were very simple and peaceful people.

He appealed to international organisations to help Tharis so that they could lead a happy and healthy life. “It is painful to see that children are dying because of hunger and malnutrition here.”

The boxer said he would ask his fans and friends to visit the desert to see its rich culture and historical places and help the local people. He praised the government for its efforts to provide maximum facilities to the area, but said a lot more was needed.

Amir Khan and his wife also visited the Jurito Bheel village, near Islamkot Town, where he donated a water pump and solar system and announced that he would build a modern hospital there. He said the water pump would cater to the need of safe drinking water for about 800 people who were forced to fetch water by traveling 3km from their village.

Mr Khan observed that there was a need to save Tharis from snakebite and said his foundation would work on the issue.

Hundreds of people had gathered in the village to meet the famous boxer on his arrival. Children sang folk songs to accord a warm welcome to the boxer when he arrived in the village to inaugurate the water pump.

Additional Deputy Com­missioner of Thar Mohammad Hussain Baloch, who accompanied the boxer, told Dawn that Amir Khan had promised to help the government in its efforts to provide maximum facilities to Thar.

In a Twitter message, Amir Khan thanked Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif for his support as army officers also accompanied the boxer during his trip to Thar.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2016