KARACHI: Personalities belonging to sports and other fields on Sunday joined hands to create awareness among the general public about thalassaemia, demanding the provincial government to implement the law passed years ago effectively to savefuture generations from the deadly disorder.

Former national cricket team captain Yunis Khan, religious scholar Hanif Tayyab, rights activist Ansar Burney, and haematologist Dr Saqib Ansari spoke at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club (KPC), organised by the Omair Sana Foundation (OSF) to create awarenessagainst the deadly disease.

They said it was about time the government ensured implementation of the legislation for getting rid of the disease that had been passed years ago.

Later, participants of the conference lit candles at the KPC to highlight the issue.

A significant number of thalassaemia patients, parents and members of civil soci-ety took part in the activities.

Addressing the press conference, they expressed their grave concerns over the alarming proportion of the disease among children.

They demanded of the government to insert a column for thalassaemia status in the Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) and marriage certificates.