SYDNEY – (February 6, 2026): Shaukat Khanum Australia is set to host a major Fundraising Gala Event in Sydney this coming weekend. The event marks the culmination of a fortnight-long series of charitable initiatives held across Australia, in support of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC).
Chief guest, Dr Faisal Sultan, SKMCH&RC CEO, and leading Pakistani artists, actor/director Hamza Ali Abbasi, and Canadian-Pakistani actor and singer, Ahad Raza Mir, have been joined by hundreds of attendees for 8 gala events, with the aim of raising vital funds for Pakistan’s third cancer hospital.
Currently under construction, a new hospital is scheduled to open in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi in late 2026. Once completed, the hospital in Karachi will be the third and largest cancer hospital in Pakistan.
Collective fundraising efforts from the Australian-Pakistani community are crucial in helping achieve this significant milestone.
For over thirty years, SKMCH&RC has provided financially supported – or entirely free – cancer treatment to more than 75% of its patients in Pakistan.
From a single institution in Lahore, SKMCH&RC has grown into a national network, now operating two comprehensive cancer centres in Lahore and Peshawar.
Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, the world’s first free of charge cancer treatment hospital, opened its doors to patients on 29 December in 1994.
The brainchild of Pakistan’s Cricket World Cup winning captain and 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan –– the first of three hospitals was built in Lahore in honour of his mother, Mrs. Shaukat Khanum, who succumbed to cancer in 1985.
Prior to the establishment of the hospital in Lahore, no specialised institution for the comprehensive treatment of cancer existed in Pakistan.
The Lahore hospital has gone from strength to strength, establishing a reputation for clinical excellence and research.
Since its establishment in 1994, SKMCH&RC has been recognised by the Human Rights Society of Pakistan and by the World Health Organization for its contributions towards humanity.
With a presence in more than sixty-five cities in Pakistan in the form of hospitals, diagnostic centres, walk-in clinics (cancer screening centres), and laboratory collection centres, the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust has emerged as one of the most credible charities in Pakistan.
Consistently, the hospital has continued to treat more than 75% of all cancer patients seen completely free of charge.
What began as one man’s dream to build a world-class cancer hospital in a developing country, committed to providing free treatment to the majority of its patients continues to shine as a beacon of hope across Pakistan.
Pakistanis in Australia and across the global diaspora are upholding this legacy of hope to help ensure that SKMCH&RC can continue to further the hospital’s mission of delivering world-class healthcare services and deliver world-class cancer care to all who need it.
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SYDNEY: 2026 Shaukat Khanum Gala Event
6pm Saturday 7 February, Sydney Olympic Park
Sydney: 2026 Shaukat Khanum Gala Event
** SOLD OUT **
Chief guest of honour
Dr Faisal Sultan, Chief Executive, SKMCH&RC
International guests
Pakistani actor and director, Hamza Ali Abbasi
and special guests
More information:
https://www.shaukatkhanum.org.au/public/
Donations:
https://www.shaukatkhanum.org.au/public/donate-now
Dr Aila Khan, Chairperson 0405 829 354
Dr Yasmin Khan, Director 0411 672 194
About Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC)
Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centres (SKMCH&RC) are state-of-the-art cancer centres located in Lahore, Peshawar, and Karachi. With a presence in nearly eighty cities in Pakistan in the form of Hospitals, Diagnostic Centres, Walk-in-Clinics (cancer screening centres), and Laboratory Collection Centres, the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust has emerged as one of the most credible charities in Pakistan and has been recognised by the Human Rights Society of Pakistan, and by the World Health Organization for its contributions towards humanity. SKMCH&RC’s vision is to be the premier institution for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in the region irrespective of the ability of the patient to pay; to improve patient safety and to be the leading centre for research into the causes and treatment of cancer in the region.
Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Foundation Limited (SKMCFL) is registered with the Australian Charities & Not-For-Profits Commission (ACNC).
Featured photo: SKMCFL, Dr Faisal Sultan, CEO, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, 2026 Shaukat Khanum Gala event in Perth, Australia, 24 January.
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