Hadiqa Kiani and Asiam Ul Haq have been appointed as Pakistan’s first official UN Goodwill Ambassadors.
Pakistani pop singer Hadiqa Kiani and tennis player Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi will use their celebrity and broad appeal to help UNDP raise the profile of needs of more than 20 million people starting to rebuild their lives after the floods that have devastated the country since July.
Hadiqa and Aisam will deliver messages of support for early recovery efforts as UNDP mounts efforts in 39 of the worst affected areas of the country to restore livelihoods through job creation, repair of basic community infrastructure, and strengthening of local government offices to get public services running again.
Hadiqa Kiani has already been devoting all of her time and energy for the flood victims. She has been quite productively supplying food, clothing, and medicine to the flood victims. She has personally visited the flood areas on several occasions and is currently rebuilding the village of Ali Mohammad, one of the many villages neglected by media. Hadiqa is also in the process of building 1200 new homes, schools and hospitals for the flood victims.
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Aisam has won more Davis Cup matches for his country than any other Pakistani tennis player. He raises funds for flood survivors through his family’s Haq Foundation.
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The Programme has already started cash-for-work projects in the districts of Charsada and Nowshera in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province and is partnering with 18 national non-governmental organizations to expand early recovery projects to other areas of the country.
“There is not a house in Pakistan that does not know the name of Hadiqa and Aisam. They have the hearts of the people”, said Timo Pakkala, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Pakistan.
“UNDP is very pleased that Hadiqa and Aisam-ul-Haq have come on board as our first national goodwill ambassadors in Pakistan,” said Toshihiro Tanaka, UNDP Country Director. “We look forward to a fruitful partnership in support of the huge task of early recovery in the coming year.”
“The Government is delighted that two talented young icons like Hadiqa Kiani and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi have joined the Government’s and UNDP’s efforts to help communities recover from the devastating floods that have affected millions of people”, said Lt.
Gen. Nadeem, Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority of Pakistan. “Their efforts will go a long way in inspiring others to give their time, efforts and resources to help the country recover”.
