CJP to visit Manchester for dam fundraiser

LONDON: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar will visit Manchester next month to take part in a fundraiser for dam construction, organised by Aneel Musarrat – a leading PTI figure and Imran Khan’s friend.

An invitation letter/poster has been published by the organisers seeking donations for the “Chief Justice and PM Dam Appeal 2018” and inviting British Pakistanis to attend the event which will be held on November 23 in Manchester.

Tickets are being sold at the rate of £1500 for a table of ten in the “inner circle” and £1000 for the “outer circle”. Those in the inner circle will get to sit in the proximity of the “Guest of Honour”. The hall where the event will be held can accommodate up to 1 000 guests on 100 tables.

A picture has been released showing Aneel Musarrat meeting the chief justice in Islamabad this week. Speaking to The News/Geo, Aneel Musarrat confirmed that the CJP accepted invitation to attend the event in Manchester.

He said, “It is an honour and privilege to meet the CJP sahib. He is an extremely intelligent and humble person. I am delighted that CJP sahib has accepted our invitation to visit Manchester for a fund raiser for the dam project on November 23. The North West community is extremely excited and looking forward to welcoming CJP sahib on November 23.”

The chief justice will take part in the graduation ceremony of his son as well.

Earlier it was stated that the chief justice will visit the United Kingdom and a few European countries to speak to overseas Pakistanis about the need for making dams in view of the serious crisis of water scarcity but will not take part in any fundraising event. The World Congress of Overseas Pakistanis (WCOP) said that the CJP would be accompanied by two other officials and would be only sanitising the community in London and Europe about the need for more dams.

A spokesman for WCOP said that initially the CJP was supposed to speak in London and visit two European capitals but the plan then changed due to “security concerns in London” and a final decision could be made soon.

PTI’s London President Waheed-ur-Rehman said that he has approached the office of chief justice and wanted to hold an event in his honour in London during the same trip.

A spokesman for the WCOP earlier said that the chief justice had accepted an invitation to speak here on the crucial issue of water scarcity and building new dams for which funds could be raised through the expatriates.

Aneel Musarrat attended launch of ‘New Pakistan Housing Project’ by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday. Aneel Musarrat said that he would advise Imran Khan to build 5 million affordable homes as he would take foreign expertise to Pakistan’s housing sector.

The British Pakistani businessman has previously organised various fundrasiers in Manchester for Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital, Namal College and donated money to PTI including for elections.