Islamabad: Pakistan commemorated the services of philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi on his fourth death anniversary on Wednesday.
The renowned Pak humanitarian, who founded the world’s largest volunteer ambulance network, died on July 8, 2016, in Karachi after a prolonged illness.
Edhi, who was born in 1928, migrated to Pakistan in 1947 along with his family and dedicated his life to the poor from the age of 20 — when he himself was suffering through the financial crisis in Karachi.
After his family migrated to and settled in Karachi, the philanthropist according to Geo news purchased a small shop with his meagre savings to open a dispensary with the help of a doctor friend.
In his own words, Edhi “begged for donations” at the start of his work and “people gave” openheartedly.
In an earlier interview with Geo News, Edhi said he only owned two pairs of clothes which he washed himself, a tradition he had continued for many years. He lived in a small one-room flat located above the office of his charitable organisation.
“He never established a home for his own children,” his wife told news agency AFP in an earlier interview.
Edhi received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for public service in 1986 and was honoured with the Nishan-e-Imtiaz in 1989.
The Edhi Foundation now has a dense ambulance network including air ambulances stationed in Pakistan. In fact, in 1997 the Edhi Foundation entered the Guinness World Records as the “largest volunteer ambulance organisation”.
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