Writer and satirist Anwar Maqsood has appealed to the public to help Toyota dealership owner Iqbal Hussain Shah run Safaid Posh Ghar, a six-storey residential home in Karachi that can accommodate 240 people.
In a video message, Maqsood said Shah had put everything he had into the project and received support from friends. He urged others to come forward, asking how one person could manage an undertaking of this scale alone.
“Iqbal wants nothing for himself. He has put everything he had into it,” Maqsood said.
The idea for Safaid Posh Ghar grew out of a small cabin outside Shah’s car showroom. The cabin, called Safaid Posh, serves meals to people who stop by in the afternoon or evening. Maqsood said nobody who came for food left empty-handed.
Some of those who collected meals were older people who lived alone and rarely heard from their children, Maqsood said. Women and children also visited the cabin. Seeing them come for meals prompted Shah to think about building a home.
Safaid Posh Ghar has separate floors for men, women, children and married couples. Its facilities include a gymnasium, a beauty parlour, doctors’ clinics and a rooftop restaurant.
Recalling his first visit, Maqsood said he asked Shah, “Is this a five-star hotel or a home for people?”
Maqsood called the project a remarkable achievement. His appeal focused on the work that comes after construction: keeping the home running and sharing the responsibility Shah has taken on.
