ISLAMABAD - Deputy Speaker National As­sembly Qasim Khan Suri and scores of parliamentarians from across the political divide turned up at a blood donation camp set up by the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) at the Parliament House here on Thursday.

Qasim Khan Suri was the first to donate blood followed by the other lawmakers.

The camp was set up in line with 90-day plan of action en­visioned by the newly appoint­ed Chairman PRCS Abrar ul Haq. The plan aims to revamp the PRCS, with special focus on enhancing blood collection to meet the growing demand of a burgeoning population and save precious human lives.

Former Prime Minister Sha­hid Khaqan Abbasi, Mushahid­ullah Khan, Lt Gen (r) Abdul Qa­yyum, Maiza Hameed, Nafeesa Shah, Akhundzada Chattan, Sir­ajul Haq, Abdul Qadir Patel, Mo­lana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, Riaz Jadoon, Javeria Safdar, Jai Par­kash, Mir Khan Muhammad Ja­mali, Amjad Khan Niazi, Aftab Jahangir, Sadaqat Abbasi and Mohsin Dawar were prominent among those who visited the blood camp.

Speaking on the occasion, Qa­sim Khan Suri said the PRCS had been specially invited to launch the blood donation campaign from the Parliament House.

He welcomed the initiative and said the step was in line with the government’s agen­da of ensuring provision of safe blood to every patient and those injured in traffic road accidents.

He said the communications ministry was working on a plan to reduce accidents on roads where most of the injured die for want of timely provision of blood. He urged all segments of society to wholeheartedly help the PRCS in this humanitarian cause.

PRCS Chairman Abrar ul Haq said his organisation had start­ed the campaign from the Par­liament House, adding that we want to give a message to the common people and motivate them to come forward and play their role in saving precious lives.

He maintained that the PRCS was part of an international movement, which was serving communities affected by natural as well as manmade disasters in more than 192 countries.

Abrar ul Haq said the PRCS had developed short, medium, and long-term strategies to fur­ther increase its capacity and outreach. He added that 38,000 people die in road accidents in Pakistan annually out of which many lose their lives for want of timely supply of blood.

As a quick-win initiative, the PRCS has decided to consider­ably enhance its blood collec­tion capacity to meet the grow­ing demand for blood, he said, adding that the blood donation camp set up at the Parliament House was a ‘soft launch’ of the campaign.

He made it clear that the cam­paign was completely apoliti­cal and initiated purely on hu­manitarian basis. He said the campaign will be taken to every nook and corner of the country by involving elected representa­tives. He appealed to the people to donate blood.

Dozens of blood units were donated by parliamentarians, National Assembly officials, and youth visiting the Lower House of Parliament. Secretary Gener­al Khalid Bin Majeed and a large number of PRCS officials and volunteers were present at the campaign.