First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva supports humanitarian action in Pakistan
By Nigar Orujova
A humanitarian action was held for an orphanage in Pakistan with the support of Mehriban Aliyeva, Azerbaijan's First Lady and President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.
The orphanage, called the Anjuman Suleymania School, is located in in the Pakistani city of Lahore, Punjab province.
Addressing the event, Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Pakistan Dashgyn Shikarov emphasized that a series of actions were held following the initiative of Mehriban Aliyeva in healthcare, education, and humanitarian spheres, covering all the provinces of Pakistan.
Underscoring that the Heydar Aliyev Foundation pays special attention to orphans, he gave some souvenirs to children on behalf of the Foundation and also handed over the financial aid allocated by the Foundation to the school's management for the reconstruction works.
Vice-president of the school Rauf Khalid Mustafa thanked Mehriban Aliyeva for the humanitarian actions taken in Pakistan.
Over 100 pupils are educated at the school for orphans.
At present, reconstruction works are carried out at the school and new residential and educational buildings are being built on the territory.
After the official part of the ceremony, the attendees acquainted themselves with the residential and educational buildings at the orphanage and the reconstruction work taking place there.
The Heydar Aliyev Foundation started its activity in Pakistan after the earthquake in 2005 by launching an initiative to build a new modern school for girls in lieu of the destroyed one in Muzaffarabad. The 500-pupil school was built in a mountainous area by 2007.
The foundation regularly provides the school with all the necessary means and pays monthly scholarships to five deserving students at the school. After complete reconstruction and renovation in 2012, the school was named after the First Lady of Azerbaijan.
Aliyeva initiated a series of healthcare, education, and humanitarian projects throughout the provinces of Pakistan in 2012 and 2013.
The foundation also took part in celebrations of World Blood Donor Day in Peshawar.