Khursheed Shah writes to Nobel committee for Edhi's nomination

Leader of the opposition says Edhi's services to humanity are 'unmatchable'

Leader of the Opposition Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah on Saturday wrote a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee regarding nomination of late Abdul Sattar Edhi for the Nobel Prize.

"Abdul Sattar Edhi (Late) was a renowned philanthropist, social worker and great human being. He was a founder of the largest non-profit social welfare organisation in Pakistan known as Edhi Foundation," the letter read.



Making a case for the late philanthropist's nomination, Shah wrote about how Edhi's credibility was inevitable and how he was loved and respected by the people of Pakistan and South Asia. "He was a man who proved his commitment to humanity beyond any discrimination and prejudice. This level of trust of millions of people was earned by him through decades of devoted, consistent and transparent efforts."

A picture of the letter obtained by The Express Tribune.

The Opposition Leader concluded his letter by reiterating that Edhi's services to humanity were 'unmatchable', and that he had a strong claim to the Nobel Prize.

Two iconic figures representing Pakistan abroad, Malala Yousafzai and Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf, have also joined a growing chorus for posthumously awarding Abdul Sattar Edhi with the Nobel Prize for his humanitarian work.

Most Pakistanis concur that if there is any person more deserving of this prestigious award, it is Edhi.



Abdul Sattar Edhi was the ‘most deserving person’ for the award of Nobel Peace Prize, Pakistani Nobel Peace Laureate Malala Yousafzai said in January this year. Malala said that she had nominated Edhi for the Nobel Prize for 2016 because she believed he was the “most deserving person for this award.”

Amplifying people’s demand for bestowing post-humous Nobel prize to the legendary humanitarian and social worker, former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf insisted that Abdul Sattar Edhi deserved Nobel Peace Prize during his life. According to him, Edhi deserved Nobel Prize more than Mother Teresa.

According to Nobelprize.org, official website for Nobel Prize, since 1974, statutes of the Nobel Foundation stipulate that a Prize cannot be awarded posthumously, unless death has occurred after the announcement of the Nobel Prize. Before 1974, the Nobel Prize was only awarded posthumously twice: to Dag Hammerskjold (Nobel Peace Prize 1961) and Erik Axel Karlfeldt (Nobel Prize for Literature in 1931).