A Pakistani family in Hong Kong is distributing free face masks and sanitary products among people to help the community fight coronavirus.
To meet the increased demand following the panic on coronavirus, the family distributed thousands of free masks, gloves, and other sanitary products among people.
“The people will avoid you in pubic if you aren’t wearing a mask,” said Shiraz Jahangir, a salesman at Lala Al-Sheikh Trading Company, to Al-Jazeera.
“If you don’t wear a mask in public, the people will not talk to you.”
Meet the Pakistani family in Hong Kong giving away thousands of face masks and sanitary products for free to those in need amid #coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/HOp44Wb7fz
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) March 10, 2020
“It was my father-in-law who founded this business,” said Amna Nadeem who is the daughter-in-law of the shop owner.
“He started the business at a very small level and it’s grown into something that we are now able to provide free masks and water to whoever wants them.”
Lala Al-Sheikh, who settled in Hong Kong from Pakistan, says he started buying face masks and other products in bulk and gave them out to people at different medical stores in the area.
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He says he gets profound pleasure with his act of charity. “I’m giving away these items of my own accord as it is the good deeds that alone are of some help in the next world,” he said.
“Every week, I buy the supplies with my profits. No one is helping me in the pursuit.” Lala said his children are assisting him in packing the products and distributing them to the ones who need them. Lala said he previously gave away the items as well.
He said that each week he bought face masks from the profit he received from his business. He informed no one is helping him financially and that he is doing it on his own.
He said his family does the packing of face masks and distributes it to everyone. This Pakistani family has won the hearts of thousands of people on social media.
Meanwhile, Pakistan International Airlines have suspended flight operations to and from Qatar for management of the spread of Coronavirus after Qatar imposed a temporary travel ban on 14 nationalities including Pakistan.