Bilquis Edhi laid to rest as Sindh observes day of mourning

Mother of thousands of orphans and unwanted children Bilquis Bano Edhi was laid to rest on Saturday at Karachi’s Mewa Shah Graveyard after the Zuhr prayers.

Bilquis was the wife of legendary humanitarian and philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi. She passed away at the age of 74 on Friday. She had been suffering from heart and lung problems and was admitted to a private hospital a few days ago where she died of congestive heart failure.

She was interred near her mother’s grave as per her wish, said her son Faisal Edhi.

Earlier, her funeral prayers were offered at the New Memon Masjid, Kharadar. A huge number of people visited the Edhi Centre in Mithadar to offer condolences.

Those who went to her house to offer condolences included Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s wife Tehmina Durrani.

Expressing his grief over the demise of his mother, Faisal said he felt alone. He recalled how his mother gave him courage after the death of his father.

He added that since the death of her husband, Bilquis had been managing the operations of the Edhi Foundation.

The Sindh government announced a ‘day of mourning’ on Saturday over the sad demise of Bilquis.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Administrator Murtaza Wahab, Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Khurrum Sher Zaman, Sindh Inspector General of Police Mushtaq Mahar, Sindh Rangers director general and various other prominent personalities attended the funeral prayers.

Offering his condolences, Wahab said the Sindh government had declared a day of mourning on Saturday to pay homage to the humanitarian services of Bilquis.

He said that according to her will, she would be buried in the Mewa Shah cemetery. Bilquis, he said, had served humanity without discrimination and the establishment of Bilquis Edhi Foundation for Women was her great achievement.

Bilquis married Edhi in April 1966. After her husband’s death in 2016, she co-chaired the Edhi Foundation with her son Faisal. Born in Karachi in 1947, she was a nurse by profession. She was awarded the 1986 Ramon Magsaysay Award for her outstanding services for the well-being of unwanted children. She was also a recipient of the Lenin Peace Prize.

Her profile on the Edhi Foundation website reads; “Abdul Sattar Edhi’s possessions at the time of his marriage were a broken old car and a small dispensary. There was a maternity home on first floor with 6 to 7 beds on ground floor which served as an office and a similar room on first floor. There wasn’t much else but even in those days when the newlywed couple had very limited resources, people used to leave their kids with them and Bilquis Edhi used to look after them.”

At the foundation, along with other responsibilities, she tirelessly worked for the well-being of unwanted children, the children adoption department of the Edhi Foundation and women-specific issues throughout Pakistan.

As the news of her demise spread on Friday, President Arif Alvi paid tribute to her and prayed for her soul in a tweet: “Sad to learn about the passing away of Bilquis Edhi Sahiba. She had always been shoulder to shoulder with Abdul Sattar Edhi in his philanthropic efforts and continued his work even after his death. May Allah bless the departed soul,” he wrote.

The newly-elected prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, tweeted: “The passing away of Bilquis Edhi is a huge loss for the nation. An incredible woman in her own right, she stood by Edhi sb like a rock and together they set up an example of human compassion and ran one of the largest philanthropic organizations of the world. May her soul rest in peace.”

Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan expressed his grief with these words: “Deeply saddened on hearing of the passing away of Mohtarma Bilquis Edhi. Her quiet, selfless work for the poor, the homeless, especially the orphans and abandoned children, made her a role model and a symbol of hope. My prayers and condolences go to her family.”

Former president of Pakistan and Pakistan Peoples Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also expressed sorrow over Bilquis’s demise.