JEDDAH — Pakistan's Consul General in Jeddah Shehryar Akbar Khan paid glowing tribute to the iconic social worker and philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi at a condolence meeting held on the consulate premises last week. Prominent scholar Sheikh Muhammad Saleh, consulate staff and a large number of distinguished community members attended. Edhi, 88, died on July 8 at a medical centre after a long battle with kidney disease. His death triggered a massive outpouring of grief across the nation of 190 million for a man who trancended social, ethnic and religious divisions. He was laid to rest on the outskirts of Karachi the next day at a state funeral attended by thousands of people. Khan expressed his deep grief over the demise of Edhi, a great humanitarian whose foundation provided social and health care for the poor and destitute of Pakistan. "Unfortunately I did not have the opportunity to meet him personally but I remember a small incident that reflected his greatness on board PNS Shifa. An army officer was looking for an air ambulance to evacuate the body of his mother from Karachi to Rahimyar Khan and sought the help of Edhi Foundation. When the officer offered to pay the fee of 60,000 rupees for the service, Edhi refused to take the money, saying: "You people are ever ready and willing to die for the nation and how can I take money from you." Khan said this was a clear testimony of Edhi's patriotism. "While everyone of us lived looking to build property, Edhi built nursing homes, orphanages, women's shelters and rehabilitation centers across the country," Khan said. "Most of us longed to own expensive cars, but Edhi bought ambulances to serve fellow humans in need." Edhi dedicated his entire life to humanitarian causes, Khan said. "He extended services to the poor and the destitute and did not take anything back. He served to everyone. Today there are very few people like Edhi in Pakistan and his death at a time when we direly need more people like him is great loss to the nation," he added. He thanked all participants for coming in such large numbers to pay tribute to the great human being who had passed. Noted community figures including Ghulam Nabi Butt, Engineer Aziz Ahmed, Mohammed Amanatullah, Hamid ul Islam Hamid and Naeem Hamid Ali Al-Hamid spoke on Edhi's services to humanity. Paying rich tribute to the philanthropist, Syed Mohsin Alvi read an elegy written on the sorrowful occasion. Speaking to Saudi Gazette, Shoaib Akber acting consular (press), and Tahseemul Haq Haqqi, community welfare attaché, expressed their grief on the sad demise of Edhi. Qari Abdul Haseeb and Sheikh Mohammed Saleh led the prayers for the departed soul. Consular Shaiq Ahmed conducted the proceedings. Edhi was born in British India in 1926. He moved to Pakistan six days after the birth of the nation in August 1947 and settled in Karachi like many of his fellow migrants. He is survived by wife Bilquis and their two daughters and two sons.
