What Happened: Today marks the 5th death anniversary of Abdul Sattar Edhi, Pakistan’s best known humanitarian and the late founder of the Edhi Foundation. Despite having limited resources, he served humanity selflessly and was acknowledged for his work worldwide.
Edhi was born on February 28, 1928, in Bantva in India’s Gujarat. He migrated to Pakistan after Partition and settled in Karachi. His mother passed away as she could not be given healthcare on time, which moved him to establish a free clinic in Karachi with Rs5,000 in 1951. He set up the free dispensary for the city’s low-income residents. This was the turning point, a stepping stone in his life.
Ever since, he took the path of service to humanity. Soon, his welfare network reached across the country. He created a network of social services for his country, including a fleet of 1,500 ambulances, 24-hour emergency services, homeless shelters, orphanages, blood banks and homes for unwanted and abandoned infants. Even during years of agonizing gang violence in Karachi, Edhi frequently drove his own ambulance and showed up personally to transport and care for the injured or wash the dead. Over the years, this grew into the Edhi Foundation, becoming Pakistan’s most relied-upon social safety net, handling many of the responsibilities that the Pakistani government could not or would not.
His services were also acknowledged internationally. He was awarded with several national honors including Hilal-e-Imtiaz. The Guinness Book of World Records also acknowledged his services. After a prolonged battle with renal disease, he passed away in Karachi at the age of 88 on 8th July 2016. Click here to see more from Propergaanda.