KHIDMAT-E-KHALQ FOUNDATION

I- SERVICES RENDERED BY THE KHIDMAT-E-KHALQ FOUNDATION

The way the MQM’s Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation has aided the poor, the deprived and the deserving; irrespective of their colour, cast, creed and religion, that symbolises KKF as their only friend and hope.

That is also the main reason why the residence of the Founder and Leader of the MQM, Mr. Altaf Hussain at Azizabad and the Office of the KKF at Block 14, Federal B. Area, Karachi are always thronged by the needy 24 hours a day. The residence of Mr. Altaf Hussain has a reception area where the problems of the needy are seriously listened. At the Office of KKF, its staff processes the applications of the poor and deserving and necessary assistance is immediately provided. The manner in which the KKF helps the people without discrimination is mentioned below: -

1- MONTHLY DISBURSEMENT OF FINANCIAL AID TO THE POOR AND NEEDY

KKF provides financial support on monthly basis to all those students and widows who have no means of financial support. All such deserving widows and students are issued special cards. These poor widows and students by showing their card at the KKF Central Office receive the money apportioned for them every month. The widows are given aid on the basis of the number of household members in their homes. This way Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation is supporting thousands of people. Not only Mohajir families are being aided by the KKF but the list also includes Sindhis, Baloch, Punjabis, Saraikis and Pakhtoons, in fact, people of all the nationalities of the country. Poor students, besides being helped monetarily, are provided their course books, uniforms and fees. In 1996-97, the KKF distributed Rs. 0.5 million amongst the poor students, the widows and other deserving persons.

2- PROVISION OF DOWRIES TO DESTITUTE AND ORPHAN GIRLS FOR THEIR MARRIAGES

The marriage of girls whose parents are from low-income group is a major social and financial problem. In many cases such girls have to face this problem themselves. The KKF provides financial help to such parents for the arrangement of marriages of their daughters. According to KKF’s accounts, during 1996-97 an amount of Rs. 0.32 million were spent on the marriages of orphans and destitute girls.

3- ANNUAL DISTRIBUTION OF AID AMONGST THE DESERVING DURING THE MONTH OF RAMAZAN

KKF besides providing monthly help to poor students and deserving widows and other occasional aid, also arranges the distribution of sewing machines, installation of vegetable and fruit stalls for jobless youths, wheel chairs for the handicapped, tape recorders for the blind and distribution of cash amongst thousands of poor and needy, the dependants of shaheeds (the martyrs), disabled students and widows, during the month of Ramzan. For this annual programme, applications are usually received from the first till the 15th or 20th of Ramazan. Each application is processed and investigated and each applicant is allotted aid according to his or her need.

This annual aid programme is generally held in the last week of Ramazan. Aid is distributed irrespective of the colour, cast, creed, language or religion, to the poor and needy. And special care is taken to ensure that the aid is given only to the deserving. Around five thousand persons receive aid through this programme every year. We try to ensure that poor and needy families are also able to celebrate Eid. These annual aid programmes are not only organised in Karachi, Hyderabad and the other cities of Sindh but also in Punjab, the NWFP and Balochistan. Thus the aid programmes of KKF have now been spreading throughout the country. Besides this annual aid programme and monthly distribution of aid, the MQM’s Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation provides help in a variety of ways throughout the year to deserving people.

4- FREE MEDICAL TREATMENT AND PROVISION OF MEDICINES TO THE POOR

The MQM’s Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation provides free medical care to the poor and needy besides providing free medicines to them. For these medical facilities the MQM has established a separate department known as the “Medical Aid Committee”. It provides medical care and treatment and other facilities to the poor. The MQM’s Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation has also created an “Emergency Centre”, spreading in an area of three acres in Federal ‘B’ Area Block 14, District Central, where experienced staff remains on active duty to serve 24 hours a day. In this building, there are different departments to handle the medical needs of the people. At present, there is a dispensary operating in the Emergency centre, which provides free medical care and medicines to the deserving. Besides these services, every year on the ‘Polio Day’, the KKF provide vaccination for prevention from Polio to the children and for this purpose, special arrangements are made at the medical dispensary.

5- AMBULANCE AND COFFIN CARRIER SERVICE

KKF’s largest Ambulance and Coffin Carrier Service Centre (ACCSC) is situated at the KKF Emergency Centre in Federal ‘B’ Area where four coffin carrier buses and 19 ambulances are equipped with oxygen facilities and all other medical emergency equipment. The Emergency Centre staff comprises of 70 people. The KKF ambulances arrive promptly on intimation of a traffic accident or emergency; regardless of where it occurred. Ambulances proceed to the nearest hospital promptly with the casualties in order to save precious lives. In view of the increasing accidents in Karachi, the KKF has established another ambulance centre at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital with a fleet of four ambulances, available round the clock.