LUTON, (Special Correspondent) __ Luton Councillor Zanib Raja graciously hosted an esteemed reception at Luton Town Hall to honour Air Marshal (Retd.) Arshad Mahmood Malik, Vice President of Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan. The event was attended by Aghosh UK Co-Founder Fahim Kayani and a distinguished gathering of community leaders.

During their addresses, Cllr Zanib Raja, former Deputy Leader of Luton Council Raja Muhammad Aslam Khan, and Cllr Amjad Ali warmly welcomed Retired Air Marshal Malik and the honourable guests present. Cllr Zanib Raja commended Luton’s vibrant community spirit and its steadfast dedication to charitable initiatives. Fahim Kayani expressed heartfelt appreciation to the residents of Luton for their significant support of Aghosh UK’s humanitarian efforts for Pakistan and Gaza, highlighting a recent fundraising event that yielded remarkable contributions for shelter, orphan sponsorships, and medical aid.

In his keynote address, Air Marshal retired Arshad Mahmood Malik thanked Cllr Zanib Raja for hosting the event and briefed attendees—councillors, community leaders, health professionals, academics, and relief representatives—on Alkhidmat Foundation’s relief efforts in Gaza and Pakistan. He shared that Pakistan ranks 6th globally in aid sent to Gaza, dispatching more than 25 air cargo shipments and two ships with government support. He also described his visits to Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, where he met officials and signed MoUs to secure aid delivery.

He stressed that while Alkhidmat and its partners ncluding Aghosh UK and chapters in USA, Norway, Spain, Italy, and other countries—are delivering shelters, food, clean water, clinics, and orphan care, the humanitarian situation remains dire. He cited the United Nations’ warning that famine is already occurring in Gaza, describing it as the fastest decline into famine ever recorded, with children being the most affected. He urged the community to continue their support despite the severe restrictions on aid.

Reflecting on Alkhidmat’s role during the Pakistan floods of 2022 and 2025, Air Marshal retired Arshad Mahmood Malik praised over 70,000 volunteers, calling them the “jewels in the crown” of the organisation. He noted that in the August 2025 floods, Alkhidmat spent 25 crore rupees on relief operations, while continuing its work across eight sectors, including orphan care, health, education, disaster management, water & sanitation, and community development. The foundation currently supports more than 32,000 orphans across Pakistan.

The occasion was marked by the presence of numerous dignitaries and community leaders, including Haji Ch Muhammad Qurban (Chairman Mirpur International Airport Movement UK & Europe), Ch Shafait Pothi (Chairman Luton Central Mosque), Ch Muhammad Sharif (Senior Vice President Tehreek-e-Kashmir UK), Dr Mohammad Yasin Rehman, Dr Rizwan Butt, Muhammad Maqsood (UKIM Relief In-Charge), Nazir Ahmed Qureshi, Ch Zahid Iqbal, Farukh Murad Qureshi, Aqdis Mughal, Prof Iftikhar Butt, Riaz Butt, Raja Waheed Akbar, Riaz Zaman, Raja Hafeez Khan, Syed Hussain Shaheed Sarwar, Shaukat Butt, Aslam Kayani, Yasin Kayani, along with councillors Ch Idrees Latif, Zahoor Ahmed, and Anwar Malik.