AN EVENT aiming to raise money for those affected by the Pakistan floods will be held in Bradford this weekend.

The event – which will take place at The Bradford Hotel on Saturday – will feature music, stalls and food and will support victims of a disaster which has killed a reported 1,700 people.

Running from 6pm to 11pm, it has been organised by Moonlight Productions and is being supported by several local organisations.

It was initially going be held in September, but was postponed following the Queen’s death.

Organiser Shanaz Zahoor said: “People in Pakistan are destitute right now. Winter is coming, it’s getting cold and the poorest are being hit the hardest.

“I’ve supported people who are homeless in Bradford and Leeds, and thankfully we have the appropriate social care services in this country. There aren’t services like that in Pakistan.

“You have to put yourself in their situation – from a humanitarian point of view, these people are all of our brothers and sisters.”

Large parts of Pakistan are underwater, with around 75 per cent of the southern province of Sindh still flooded.

Over 140,000 cases of malaria were reported in Sindh in early September, and around 2,000 hospitals and health centres in Pakistan have been destroyed or damaged.

“The images we are seeing from Pakistan are heart-breaking,” Shanaz said.

“My team at the Families Relief charity are on the ground – they said people are in desperate need of shelter, so we’re fundraising to build houses.

“I know money is tight in today’s climate, but if we all put a bit in, we can help.”

Shanaz, whose family are from Jhelum, Punjab, is expecting to visit Pakistan herself soon and added that people in Bradford have shown their generosity during this desperate time.

“Bradfordians have been so kind – when not donating, they’re sharing the event and telling others about it,” she said.

“Here in Britain we’ve done a lot, but more needs to be done.

“We always step forward for other places in crisis, like Syria or Ukraine, and now it’s time to support Pakistan.”

The Bradford Hotel event will feature South Asian music – including qawwali – and Pakistani street food.

Shanaz added that people “of all backgrounds, and of all faiths and none” are more than welcome at the event.

“We really hope people can attend and that we can raise a lot of money,” she said.

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