Karachi: Bilquis Bano Edhi, who dedicated her life to continue the selfless mission of her late husband Abdul Sattar Edhi to serve the suffering humanity, passed away at a private hospital in Karachi. She was 74.
Edhi remained hospitalised for around a month due to multiple age-related illnesses including heart problem. Owing to her life-long association with her late husband and his charitable organisation, the Edhi Foundation, she was widely known as the mother of thousands of abandoned, homeless, unwanted, and orphan children in the country.
She had a special relationship with countless orphan and homeless girls at the Edhi Home as she discharged responsibilities as their “Mother” while making sure that after proper upbringing and education they are married off like her own daughters.
She was of the same age as that of Pakistan. She was born in the Bantwa area of District Junagadh of Indian state of Gujarat on August 14, 1947. She migrated to Pakistan along with her family.
A nurse by profession, she married Abdul Sattar Edhi in 1966. The marriage lasted 50 years and ended only after the death of Edhi in July 2016.
Abdul Sattar Edhi and Bilquis Edhi emerged on the Pakistani national scene as an iconic couple who spent their entire life building a network of humanitarian, welfare, and emergency relief operations for the people in distress all over the country. The late Edhi received unconditional support and commitment from her wife enabling him to firmly establish his non-profit as a relief organisation that comes to the rescue of the people in distress whenever the state fails to discharge its basic responsibilities.
The Edhi Foundation expanded the scope of its humanitarian work beyond Pakistani borders owing to the decades-long work by the couple.
During her companionship with late Edhi, Bilquis Edhi never thought about her own life or of her own children and served the destitute and homeless children untill her last breath.
According to the Edhi Foundation’s website, lives of 16,000 unwanted babies had been saved due to her work.
Prestigious awards
The government recognised her by giving her the coveted civil award the Hilal Imtiaz. She was also honoured with the Mother Teresa Memorial Award by India. She was also the recipient of the Lenin Peace Prize.
Her services were widely recognised across the border when an Indian girl Geeta, who during her childhood wandered into Pakistan and was later kept at the Edhi Home, was reunited with her family in 2015.
Owing to her commitment, the Edhi Foundation continued to expand its network to accommodate homeless people and orphans. It now runs 18 such shelter homes all over the country including seven in Karachi providing accommodation to 8,500 people.
After the death of Abdul Sattar Edhi, she helped her son, Faisal Edhi, to manage the affairs of their non-profit organisation.
Son to continue parents’ legacy
Faisal Edhi while praising the decades-long work of his mother for orphans and homeless girls, vowed to continue the selfless humanitarian mission of his mother.
The Sindh Government declared a day of mourning to recognise her contribution to the humanity.
After her death, Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, visited the Edhi Home in the Mithadar area of Karachi on Friday night.
Ali Shah said that it was very difficult to carry forward the mission of the late Bilquis Edhi owing to her massive work to serve humanity. He praised the fact that all the members of the Edhi family were involved in the welfare and humanitarian work.
Funeral prayers
Funeral prayers were offered for her at the famous Memon Mosque of Karachi on Saturday afternoon. Sindh CM along with his cabinet colleagues, senior officials, family members, members of the Edhi Foundation, and a large number of the admirers of her humanitarian work attended the funeral.
A contingent of Sindh Police presented a guard of honour before her burial. Sindh CM, Chief Secretary, provincial cabinet members, and Inspector-General of Sindh Police attended the guard of honour.
She was laid to rest at the Mewashah graveyard of Karachi.
Condolences
Rich tributes poured in from across the country soon after her death. In his message, Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, said that passing away of Bilquis Edhi was a huge loss for the nation. The PM praised her commitment to late Abdul Sattar Edhi to help him build one of the largest relief organisations in the world.
President Dr Arif Alvi also condoled her death and praised her services for carrying forward the mission of her late husband.
The Indian embassy in Pakistan also offered condolences. “High Commission of India expresses its heartfelt condolences on the passing away of Bilquis Edhi. Hers and Edhi foundation’s humanitarian assistance is well appreciated across borders. RIP,” tweeted the Indian embassy.
