Dignitaries condole with Edhi’s family after Soyem

Karachi

A number of senior politicians on Sunday gathered at the Memon Masjid to attend the Soyem of the great humanitarian, Abdus Sattar Edhi, and later visited his residence to pay their respects to his family.

The officials who visited included Speaker Sindh Assembly Agha Siraj Durrani, Leader of opposition in National Assembly Khursheed Shah, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, senior deputy convener Farooq Sattar, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MNA Arif Alvi and Pak Sarzameen Party’s senior leader Waseem Aftab.

President of Pakistan’s wife, Begum Mehmooda Hussain, along with her daughter-in-laws met with Edhi’s wife at his residence. 

However, among the hundreds who had been visiting the Edhi office in Mithadar since his passing away on Friday night was one Sardar Ramesh Singh, a Sikh community leader.

“The man was indeed Pakistan’s identity. He selflessly served the cause of humanity, for him religion, race, territory were no divisions,” said Singh.

Edhi was not only known to the Sikh community in Pakistan but was equally revered by those residing in India, said Singh after he informed that on his recent visit to Amritsar several Sikh activists inquired after Edhi Sahab’s health and work.

With a translated version, in Gurmukhi Punjabi, of a book on Edhi, Singh said he was recently given this book to hand it over to Edhi. “I will give it to Faisal Edhi now.”

Indeed in such a time where human values seem to have been put on the back burner by the entire nation, Edhi’s quote, "The ambulance is more Muslim than you!" comes to mind. The words were said to have been uttered by him to bigots who criticised him for providing his services to non-Muslims.

But Singh was not the only non-Muslim to have expressed their grief over the demise of the philanthropist. Besides a number of priests who attended his funeral prayers, offered at the National Stadium a day earlier, MNA Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, also patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council, also eulogised the humanitarian in his condolence message.

“Edhi Sahab used to actively participate in the annual mass wedding ceremonies organised by the PHC in honour of Hindu couples of lower income backgrounds,” his statement read.

While appealing to the Hindu community to offer special prayers for Edhi, Vankwani also vowed to follow in the footsteps of the great human.

Geeta, for whom Edhi Centre was home for 13 years before she was sent back to India - from where she had accidentally crossed into Pakistan border –, also expressed her sorrow over Edhi’s demise.

Born deaf and mute, she was quoted by the Indian media to have said, through sign language, that “Edhi Sahab loved me like a father and used to take very good care of me.”

Officials’ visits

Leader opposition in National Assembly Khursheed Shah and Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani while addressing the media at the residence of the late philanthropist said people like Edhi who served people without any interest were rare.

Edhi was not only an asset of this nation but would be held in high regard by the entire world for the services he rendered.

MQM coordination committee senior deputy convener Dr Farooq Sattar said the nation lost a great human who worked day and night to serve humanity.

“Edhi is an identity of Pakistan. He was an entire institution in himself,” Sattar stated, adding, that he was being missed by each and every person of the country.

Chief Minister KP Pervez Khattak while speaking to media personnel after offering prayers at the deceased’ grave, said personalities like Edhi were born in decades, adding, that he would be dearly missed by the people of the country.

Wife of President Mamnoon Hussain, Begum Mehmooda Hussain, along with three of her daughter-in-laws also paid a visit to the late humanitarian’s residence; she offered her condolences to Edhi’s widow, Bilquis Edhi.

 

PAF tribute

A delegation of officers of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), led by Air Vice Marshal Salman Ahsan Bukhari, who was accompanied with Air Officer Commanding Southern Air Command offered prayers for the deceased and laid a floral wreath at Edhi’s grave, on behalf of Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman, Chief of the Air Staff Pakistan Air Force.

The Air Chief in his statement expressed heartfelt grief over the sad demise of the renowned social workers and said that he was the pride of humanity. “His contributions and influence transcended borders and nationalities.” 

His statement further read that Edhi was indeed a pioneer in the field of social service and the models of excellence set by him were replicated world over. “While heading one of the largest private social services in the world, the humanitarian lived a very humble life with negligible possession and wore his greatness lightly.”

“He was a proud face of our national character, who has left us a mission i.e. to embrace the love of humanity and work for the well being of the destitute and downtrodden.”

 

‘A befitting farewell’

Son of late Edhi, Faisal Edhi, while speaking to media after the Soyem thanked the nation for the befitting farewell bid to his father and legendary social worker and philanthropist.

Acknowledging the love and support of the people exhibited during not just in Edhi Sahab’s lifetime but also in his death, he said that reluctant to carry on with the charity work, the public’s love for his father would force him to keep on with the legacy Edhi Sahab had left behind.

The philanthropist whose eyes were donated according to his will were, according to Faisal, successfully grafted to two blind people. “They will now see through his eyes.”

While quoting his father, he said the departed legend would always say that there were two forces working in the world, one evil and the other good, “He advised me to choose the good path.”