Musharraf raises Rs250m for flood-hit: news channel

Mr Musharraf said only 5 per cent of the money collected by his foundation for the flood-hit would be spent on overheads.

KARACHI: In what may be described as a noteworthy turn of events, former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf, who resigned just over two years ago after facing threat of impeachment, joined hands with a private television channel on Sunday night to seek and then garner pledges of hundreds of millions of rupees for the relief and rehabilitation of flood-affected people.

Taking part from London in a three-hour live “telethon” on Dunya TV, Gen (retd) Musharraf appealed for funds and people from all over the world responded generously, collectively pledging upwards of Rs250 million, the news channel claimed.

The people who phoned in to the television show to pledge donations for the Pervez Musharraf Foundation which, according to the former president has already been registered in the UK, also asked the retired general about his future plans. Gen (retd) Musharraf told them he planned to return to Pakistan to take part in the next general election.

Mr Musharraf said only 5 per cent of the money collected by his foundation for the flood-hit would be spent on overheads.

Notable among the people who called the former president to pledge sizable donations were former ministers Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri and Ameer Muqam