28 March 2020 12:08 am
By Bipin Dani
Aleem Dar, the International Cricket Council’s Elite Panel Umpire, has opened the doors of his restaurant to poor and unemployed people in Lahore.
Speaking from Lahore on Friday, he said, “My Restaurant (Dar’s Delighto) is near to Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Lahore. I opened this restaurant two years back and in the last year we are serving free food to needy people”.
Poor and needy patients coming to the Imran Khan-built Shaukat Khanum Hospital, and their relatives, benefit from the food arrangements at Dar’s restaurant.
“Within the next six months I am going to buy three ambulances, which will also give free services to poor people.”
“And Inshallah (God willing) I will increase my charity work in future.”
The 51-year-old umpire who has officiated in 386 international matches (132 Tests, 208 ODIs and 46 T-20Is) goes beyond just providing free food to the needy.
“I am also running a cricket academy (Aleem Dar Cricket Academy) in Lahore, where good, talented, poor boys are given free training and financial support to their families.”
Interestingly, four impaired boys of his academy are the members of the Pakistan Deaf team.
On Friday when it was raining heavily in Lahore, the restaurant had to call police to make people stand in a proper queue so as to keep a distance of one metre between each person.