Edhi too faces hostility of religious, political groups: wife

Bilquis Edhi complains of changing attitudes towards the top charity organisation

“There is hostility towards us from religious and political groups,” Bilquis Edhi complains. “They call him an infidel saying that he does not say his prayers.”

Abdul Sattar Edhi’s wife, who along with their children helps run the foundation, complains of the changing attitudes towards the top charity organisation of the country.

“Our strong cupboards used to be full – nobody would steal from us,” she says referring to the October 2014 robbery at Edhi centre in Karachi.

Read: Edhi robbery: Police deny arrest of key suspect

While many Pakistanis argue that Edhi should have received a Nobel prize by now for his work, there are others who see him as competition.

In January, Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed announced that his Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) was setting up its first operation in Karachi with a 15-ambulance fleet.

Edhi, however, is not worried. “If he wants to become Edhi in two years, how is that possible?” he asks, pointing out that he has a 60-year head start on Saeed.

Read: Edhi centre robber identified

“What we are doing should be done by the government and should be appreciated, but instead we are blamed.”

It’s not just religious groups, however. The foundation is also sidelined by the bullying tactics of what Edhi calls an “ethnic organisation”. The foundation does not collect as much animal skin during Eidul Azha as it used to.

But Edhi is not bothered by the claim by some religious circles that he is an atheist who will not go to heaven. “I will not go to paradise where these type of people go,” he says smiling. “I will go to heaven where the poor and miserable people live.”

This story originally appeared on The Guardian