Pakistan's 'Mother Teresa' Dr Ruth Pfau laid to rest with full state honour

KARACHI: Pakistan’s ‘Mother Teresa’ Dr Ruth Pfau was laid to rest in Karachi with complete state honour today (Saturday). She was buried at the city's Gora Qabristan. 

President Mamnoon Hussain, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief Justice Sindh High Court Justice Ahmed Ali Shaikh, Chief of Air Staff Sohail Aman, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, Governor Sindh Muhammad Zubair, members Sindh Cabinet, Consul-General of the German Consulate, Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar, Dr Adeeb Rizvi, head of the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation and others were among the dignitaries who attended the Dr Ruth's state funeral.

Earlier, Dr Ruth's body was brought to St Patrick's Cathedral in Saddar from Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre (MALC), in a gun convoy, where last rites were performed . The flag of Vatican City was also hoisted at the cathedral Saturday morning, while the national flag of Pakistan remained at half mast.

The coffin was draped in the Pakistani flag and covered with rose petals.

A gun-salute was offered during the funeral proceedings. Contingents of Pakistan Armed Forces were also present at the funeral.

Pakistan government had announced to accord a state funeral to the country’s leprosy fighter Dr Ruth, who passed away last week at a local hospital in Karachi.

Dr. Ruth is also known as the ‘Mother Teresa’ of Pakistan. The Lady belonged to Germany and spent her 50 years of life in Pakistan fighting against the Leprosy disease and eventually put an end to it in our country.

With her remarkable journey, Pakistan was rewarded as the first country from Asia to have control over Leprosy in 1996 by World Health Organization.

Photo credit Khawar Khan, Reuters and AFP