The Sindh government has announced that it will produce a feature film on the life and work of Abdul Sattar Edhi, the late philanthropist and founder of the Edhi Foundation.
The announcement was made by Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon during a film festival held in Karachi. He underscored the importance of cinema as a medium for shaping public narratives, stating that while India has effectively used films to project its national narrative globally, Pakistan has yet to fully tap into this potential.
“There are countless historical and social stories in Pakistan that, if brought to the screen, could not only highlight our cultural richness but also acquaint younger generations with national heroes,” Memon said.
He stressed the need to tell the stories of those who have made significant contributions in various fields, calling it a timely and necessary endeavour.
The information department, he added, is collaborating with veteran filmmaker Satish Anand to produce the film on Edhi’s life, though further details about the project are yet to be shared.
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Abdul Sattar Edhi, widely revered as “the father of the poor” and “the angel of mercy,” dedicated his life to humanitarian service. Born in Gujarat in 1928, Edhi migrated to Pakistan in 1947. In 1951, he opened his first clinic, marking the beginning of what would become the country’s largest and most respected charitable network.
Nominated multiple times for the Nobel Peace Prize, Edhi and his team built a vast network of welfare services: maternity homes, orphanages, shelters, morgues, homes for the elderly, and rehabilitation centres for the mentally and physically challenged — all aimed at helping the most vulnerable.
His wife, Bilquis Edhi, a nurse by profession, continues to oversee women’s shelters and the adoption of orphans. The Edhi Foundation has facilitated the adoption of around 25,000 children.
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Today, the Foundation runs blood banks, mobile clinics, ophthalmology and diabetes centres, surgical units, a cancer hospital, and shelters for abused women and displaced persons. It also supports prisoners, psychiatric patients, and accident victims through various outreach initiatives.
Before his death in 2016, Edhi had launched the 50-kilometre Edhi project, focused on emergency aid for road accident victims across Pakistan’s highways.
The planned film seeks to honour his enduring legacy and introduce new generations to the life of a man who devoted himself to the service of humanity.
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