Azernews.Az

By Nigar Orujova

Azerbaijan`s First Lady and President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva has been honored with Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women Excellence Award-2013.

The Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women Excellence Award-2013 presentation ceremony was held in Larkana, Pakistan.

The event was attended by former Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister of Sindh Province Qaim Ali Shah, ministers, members of National Assembly and senators.

Addressing the ceremony, Zardari said Benazir Bhutto had fought against dictators for restoration of democracy in the country. He said thanks to her sincere efforts women rose to prominence in society and enjoyed the status they deserved.

Later, he announced that Azerbaijan's First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva was honored with Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women Excellence Award-2013.

Speaking at the event, Sindh Minister for Women Development, Special Education and Social Welfare Rubina Qaimkhani said Benazir Bhutto made huge contributions to development of science, education and culture in the country.

Qaimkhani said Benazir Bhutto fought and gave her life for saving whole world from terrorism and for freedom of women and children.

She pointed out that large-scale projects had been implemented in education, health and humanitarian areas of Pakistan upon Aliyeva`s initiative and support.

"The Heydar Aliyev Foundation has realized many projects in various cities of Pakistan. As part of the humanitarian assistance program for Pakistan, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation had built a school for girls and later reconstructed school in Kashmir's city of Muzaffarabad in 2012.

"In addition, at the initiative and with the support of Mehriban Aliyeva, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation funded a vaccination campaign against hepatitis B in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, organized examinations of cerebral palsy, open heart surgery in clinics located in the same province, blood transfusion in the districts along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, and provided financial assistance for the construction of an eye care clinic, animal sacrifice in 2012 in the tribal areas, Punjab province, and arranged Iftar parties for orphans in all provinces of Pakistan on the occasion of the Ramadan in 2012-2013," Qaimkhani said.

Qaimkhani also recalled her meeting with Mehriban Aliyeva in Baku in March, 2013, and shared her impressions.

Turkey's First Lady Hayrunnisa Gul was also awarded with the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women Excellence Award-2013.

The Heydar Aliyev Foundation is active in Pakistan, where it has built a new modern school for girls, and has held healthcare, education, and humanitarian projects in different provinces of the country.

The foundation also took part in celebrations of World Blood Donor Day in Peshawar. Mehriban Aliyeva donated one fully equipped ambulance and thousands of blood collection bags to Hamza Foundation, which deals with safe blood transfusion to the beneficiaries on both sides of the Durand Line on voluntary basis.

During the holy month of Ramazan in 2012 and 2013, the foundation hosted iftar dinners to beneficiaries of Pakistan Sweet Home (Pakistan Baitulmal) in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Larkana, Nawabshah, Quetta, Zhob and Peshawar, and Edhi Homes beneficiaries in Islamabad.