The world will always cherish Abdul Sattar Edhi as the richest poor man
KARACHI: Abdul Sattar Edhi, Pakistan’s most renowned and respected philanthropist and humanitarian, passed away at the age of 92. The great personality was the founder and chairman of the Edhi Foundation — a platform that gave succour to the helpless and the forlorn. Mr Edhi was Pakistan’s most respected figure and was revered as a saint by countless. He was also distinguished for his humble lifestyle. He reportedly owned just two sets of clothes and lived in a small one-room flat located overhead the office of his charitable organisation. He never established a home for his own children. Motivated by the spiritual quest for justice, Edhi set out to change the country, and he did — by affecting the lives of millions. Quoting his great words: “It is everyone’s responsibility to take care of others, that’s what being human means. If more people thought that way, so many problems would be solved.”
Edhi is survived by four children and his wife, Bilquis Edhi. Frail and weak in his last years, Edhi appointed his son Faisal as managing trustee earlier in 2016. In the last act of kindness and selflessness, Faisal Edhi said his father had wished that all his usable body organs be donated after his death.
Undoubtedly, the death of this benevolent legend is a big loss for humanity. The nation mourns the loss of this great man. The world will always cherish him as the richest poor man. From helping lifting dead bodies to commencing the largest fleet of ambulances, his value never changed. May Allah rest his soul in peace.
Sumaiya Khalid
Published in The Express Tribune, July 10th, 2016.
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