ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The tenth death anniversary of the great humanitarian and philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi is being observed today.
He was born on Feb 28, 1928, at Bantva, Gujarat, and later migrated along with his family to Pakistan when it was partitioned in 1947, and settled in Karachi. Edhi always gave priority to serving humanity first, regardless of their religion, caste, color, or creed.
People always used to say that ‘ Service Before Self’ was one of his key mottos, which he lived up to. He worked for more than 60 years without any discrimination towards anyone.
His humanitarian efforts began when he set up a small dispensary in 1951, on which he spent all his money (Rs5,000). Today, this has grown into one of the world’s most respected charitable foundations, the Edhi Foundation.
The foundation runs the world’s largest volunteer ambulance service, as recognised by Guinness World Records in 1997 — that operates across Pakistan.
Other than operating these facilities, the foundation also runs hospitals, maternity homes, orphanages, shelters, blood banks, rehabilitation centres, schools and welfare centres. They also provide humanitarian aid to certain foreign countries.
For all his contributions, the philanthropist has been awarded many National and International awards, including the Nishan-e-Imtiaz and the Ramon Magsaysay Award, among other accolades.
Edhi fell ill after suffering from kidney disease for quite some time, before he finally passed away on July 8, 2016, and was given burial with state honours.
In addition, the State Bank of Pakistan has also released a commemorative coin worth Rs50 in his name.
On the occasion of the 10th year of his demise, President Asif Ali Zardari said, “Edhi was indeed a lifetime symbol of compassion and service, which transcended race, religion and ethnicity”.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif too offered tributes, saying that he remains a national asset as his humanitarian endeavours can be considered as an extraordinary episode of Pakistan’s social history.
