The White House has called Abdul Sattar Edihi as one of the world’s great humanitarians, who displayed lifelong commitment and determination to serve all people irrespective of their ethnicity, religion or nationality.
A statement by the National Security Council paid tribute to the celebrated Pakistani icon, who passed away on Friday, after providing social service to millions of poor, disadvantaged and patients around the world.
NSC Spokesperson Ned Price praised Edhi as a heroic servant of humanity.
Here is the full statement issued as issued by the White House:
“Abdul Sattar Edhi was one of the world’s great humanitarians. From the medical clinic he established in Karachi, Pakistan almost 60 years ago, he and his wife Bilquis created a vast network of social services for Pakistan’s most vulnerable, encompassing nursing homes, orphanages, soup kitchens, maternity wards, women’s shelters, rehabilitation centers, and the largest voluntary ambulance fleet in the world. Even as his foundation’s operations expanded beyond Pakistan’s borders, Edhi still often drove his own ambulance, personally caring for the injured.
“Edhi led a life dedicated to serving others, and his determination to provide equal treatment for all–regardless of nationality, ethnicity, religion, or class–stands as a sharp rebuke to those who would use fear and violence to create divisions. We offer our condolences to Bilquis and their four children, the millions of people around the world whose lives he touched, and to the people of Pakistan, who have lost a heroic servant of humanity.”
Meanwhile, Muslim and Pakistani American leaders paid glowing tributes to lifelong services rendered by Abdul Sattar Edhi. In their reports on the passing away of Edhi, major papers including The New York Times and The Washington Post also praised the unflinching commitment he displayed throughout his life.
Imam Mohamed Magid of Islamic Society of North America told a Pakistani TV channel that Edhi was like a star whose light will continue to shine and lit a righteous path for times to come.
Muhammad Mujtaba with Abdul Sattar Edhi in 1995 in New York . Also pictured are Innayat Sheikh Attorney, Mrs. Dr. Jaan and Dr. Luqman Chaudhry
Muhammad Mujtaba Hussain, a former associate general manager at MetLife Insurance, New York, also recalled his meetings with Edhi. “He was such a great person, and he achieved so much with his passion to serve humanity,” recalling Edhi’s visit to his office in Brooklyn, and was a lead speaker at an event held at LaGuardia Marriott.
Mujtaba said, it will be difficult fill the void left by the demise of Abdul Sattar Edhi but his life will continue to emanate a message of human brotherhood and virtue in ensuring welfare of the poor.
Dr. Akbar Khawaja, a former senator, now based in Virginia, also described Abdul Sattar Edhi a unique figure with remarkable record of humanitarian services.
