‘Who was that?’ Edhi asks after meeting Veena

Starlet visited renowned philanthropist at Edhi Homes.

KARACHI:

Actor Veena Malik recently went to Edhi Homes to inquire about the health of Abdul Sattar Edhi. After the young female actor left with the swarm of cameras accompanying her, Abdul Sattar Edhi unassumingly asked, “Who was that?” A teenage girl beside him smiled and replied, “Veena Malik”.

The congested poverty stricken area of Old Karachi houses the philanthropic headquarters of Edhi Homes, which had a celebrity visitor on Wednesday but Edhi was quite unaware of that. Veena Malik entered the ground floor of the lobby where Edhi was seated and greeted him.

“I have wanted to meet you for ages. Philanthropists like you are the need of the hour for this country.” While clutching his hand tightly, she said, “My family members and I have been regularly praying for your speedy recovery.”

To this, Edhi said in a low tone, “Do pray to the Almighty to allow me to do more work for others.” Malik smiled and raised her hands to pray. But the well-respected philanthropist had no idea who was praying for him.



Speaking to the media, who had surrounded them, she said, “It’s an honour for me to meet him in person. We are two ambassadors of human rights. Even if Pakistanis, in general, do 0.1% of the good he has done for the suffering humanity, the country will be a better place to live in. I wish and I hope to follow his footsteps.”

Malik said she is in talks with the International Human Rights Commission regarding the role she would like to play in three principle areas concerning health, education and women empowerment.

Her husband Asad Basheer Khan Khattak, who had accompanied her, said “It is my childhood dream to come and meet Edhi sahib. I don’t have the words to describe it.”

During a five-day visit to Karachi, Veena also paid a visit to Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s tomb and was hoping she could visit M.A Jinnah’s tomb as well and pay her regards to the founder of the nation.  When questioned if she plans on meeting politicians residing in the city, she said, “No, that’s not in the schedule.” However, with the budget release round the corner, she hoped that the government would initiate projects for the promotion of Pakistani culture and nationalism.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2014.

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