Leapfrogging such stalwarts as former heads of the UN Ban Ki Moon and Kofi Annan from a list of 20 shortlisted persons, Pakistan’s world renowned philanthropist Bilquis Edhi has won ‘Person of the Decade’ title instituted by an international web-based organisation ‘Impact Hallmarks’. Wife of the late humanitarian Abdul Sattar Edhi, Bilquis is a towering personality in her own right. Being a professional nurse and head of the Bilquis Edhi Foundation, she has spent more than six decades of her life serving humanity in need. Her charity has saved over 42,000 unwanted babies so far by placing cradles across the country at the Edhi Homes and centers.
The accolades Bilquis has received by being nominated as the ‘Person of the Decade’ are truly well deserved. A statement posted on the Impact Hallmarks website says: “As per the domino effect verdict, concerning the IH international opinion poll outcomes, Stephen Soldz, an upright ethicist and moralist from the US, Ms. Bilquis Edhi, an unparalleled noted humanitarian from Pakistan, and Prof Yanghee Lee, the fabled unsurpassed human rights rapporteur of the UN, have evidently stretched and segmented the top of the decade’s impact hallmarks and the opinion poll’s top ‘tri-archy’ as well.” The finalists — shortlisted from over 1.6 million notables with diverse backgrounds and from over 190 countries — were then presented to the global audience to pick out the person of their choice by voting.
The verdict announcement called seven other persons “true patrons of change, the flag-bearers of righteousness and the domino effect architects of the Top-10 of the impact hierarchy of the decade.” This list features another Pakistani — Prof Aurangzeb Hafi, a scientist of great stature whose ‘magneto-sectorial model’ has won critical acclaim from the community of science researchers. According to a media report, Hafi even once rejected a lucrative offer for providing the original manuscript of his research to an international organisation. Hats off to the two distinguished Pakistanis!
Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2021.
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Extremely pleased to know that Respected Miss Bilquis Edhi has won person of the dacade title. You richly deserve it. I being a Pakistanis feel proud to have people like you. You are an important asset of our country and infact the whole humanity. May Almighty Allah help you continue your mission of serving the humanity and give you prosperity in every aspect of life. Regards Sciama Naheed Mssters in Special Education.