Another Pak child off to India for free heart surgery under 'Aman Ki Asha' initiative

Lahore, Oct 19(ANI): Another Pakistani child is set to be provided free heart treatment in India under a peace initiative.

Syed Abdul Basir, who comes from Qila Abdullah, a remote town in Balochistan, said that he could not afford heart surgery for his ten-month daughter, who has a hole in her heart, but a peace initiative between Pakistan and India made it possible.

Prior to his departure to India for treatment of his daughter, Muslima Bibi, he told The News that he is a schoolteacher and does not have enough resources to meet the expenses for heart surgery of his daughter.

The free treatment is a result of the concerted effort of Aman Ki Asha - a peace initiative of the Jang Group of Newspapers, Pakistan and The Times of India Group, India, the Rotary India Humanity Foundation (RIHF) and Rotary Pakistan.

Basir said he was thankful to both newspaper groups as well as Rotary people for their support at this critical moment of his life.

He went on to say that the project was, indeed, a gesture of friendship between both neighbouring countries.

Earlier in September, five-year-old Aakash, five-year-old Atif and three-year-old Dharti from Pakistan's Sindh province had left for India with their parents for heart surgeries under the same initiative.

In February 2011, Aman Ki Asha had signed an agreement with Rotary India Humanity Foundation and Rotary Pakistan to provide free heart treatment, including surgery, to 200 under-privileged Pakistani children under the Heart to Heart initiative. So far, 25 children have undergone heart surgeries.

Under the Heart to Heart initiative, children suffering from congenital heart defects are sent to the world-renowned heart institutions in India to undergo comprehensive treatment, including surgery.

Basir said that he came to know about the friendship initiative between Pakistan and India through Jang newspaper, and was happy that his daughter would be provided treatment under the project.

Major (retired) Mujib Aftab of Rotary Pakistan - who coordinated the stay of Basir in Lahore and their subsequent departure to India - said that they would first stay at Delhi, while the heart surgery of Muslima Bibi would be performed at a hospital in Bangalore. (ANI)