Abdul Sattar Edhi fue un prominente filántropo, activista social, asceta y humanitario pakistaní. Fue el fundador de la Fundación Edhi en Pakistán y su director durante seis décadas. La fundación posee y opera un servicio de ambulancias, asilos, orfanatos, clínicas, refugios para mujeres, cocinas y centros de rehabilitación para adictos y enfermos a través del país.
Junto con su mujer, Bilquis Edhi, recibió en 1986 el Premio Ramón Magsaysay al Servicio Público. Recibió también el Premio Lenin de la Paz y el Premio Balzan. En 2006, el Instituto de Administración de Empresas de Pakistán le confirió un doctorado honoris causa. En septiembre de 2010, Edhi también obtuvo un doctorado honorario de la Universidad de Bedfordshire.[2] En 1989 Edhi recibió el Nishan-e-Imtiaz del Gobierno de Pakistán.[3] El 1 de enero de 2014, Edhi fue elegido Persona del año 2013 por los lectores de The Express Tribune.[4]
Se le consideraba un hombre humilde. No tenía un salario de su organización y vivía en un apartamento de dos dormitorios sobre su clínica en Karachi. Fue propuesto para un premio Nóbel de la Paz por el primer ministro de Pakistán tras más de 30 000 firmas encabezadas por Ziauddin Yousafzai, el padre de Malala Yousafzai.[5] The Guardian le llamó «un legendario trabajador de la caridad conocido por su ascetismo».[6] Se le llamó también «el mayor humanitario vivo en el mundo» en un artículo de 2013 del The Huffington Post.[7]
Wikipedia
“Take care of the poor people of my country.”
Edhi’s dying words, as quoted (with translation from original words in Urdu language) by IlmFeed ( July 9, 2016 http://ilmfeed.com/abdul-sattar-edhi-a-hero-for-the-poor-and-destitute/) and in Gulf Times by Kamran Rehmat ( July 11, 2016 http://www.gulf-times.com/story/502146/The-beloved-distributor-of-hope/), retrieved July 22, 2016
“People have become educated but have yet to become human.”
as quoted by Mr. Salman Masood, journalist in the Daily Dawn ( July 8, 2016) http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/09/world/middleeast/abdul-sattar-edhi-pakistans-father-teresa-dies-at-88.html?_r=0/. Retrieved on July 20, 2016
“Empty words and long praises do not impress God. Show Him your faith by your deeds.”
quote published by the Editor, The Kooza Communications International ( July 10, 2016 http://thekooza.com/10-famous-quotes-by-abdul-sattar-edhi/). Retrieved on July 21, 2016
as quoted in his Urdu language message, published in the report of National Annual Conference-2004 and Award Ceremony on the International Day of Human Rights, page-14 ( December 9, 2004 at Islamabad –Pakistan http://www.ihro.org.pk/downloads/4th%20Annual%20conference%20report.pdf/) organized by International Human Rights Observer http://www.ihro.org.pk/ Retrieved July 23, 2016
"The Richest Poor; Edhi’s life in facts, quotes," http://aaj.tv/2016/07/the-richest-poor-edhis-life-in-facts-quotes/ July 9, 2016
as quoted by Dr. Javed Laghari in Monograph titled "Leaders of Pakistan" published by SZABIST, Pages 2-10 ( Vol.1 June-2009 http://www.szabist.edu.pk/Publications/Books/LeadershipBK-CP-09.pdf/). Retrieved on July 21, 2016
“My mission is to love human beings. … Each day is the best day of my life.”
as quoted in an interview published by "Reuters" ( in 2013 http://www.reuters.com/article/pakistan-edhi-idUSL8N19U460/interview). Retrieved on July 20, 2016
“I am a beggar for the poor. Serving humanity is the biggest Jihad.”
as quoted by Chris Brummitt of AP, in NBC News ( August 29, 2010 http://www.nbcnews.com/id/38903962/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/t/aging-philanthropist-pakistans-mother-teresa/#.V4_oBvskrcs/). Retrieved on July 21, 2016
as quoted by Tehmina Durrani author of A Mirror to the Blind, a biography of Abdul Sattar Edhi at Balzan Prize ceremony ( November 17, 2000, http://www.balzan.org/en/prizewinners/abdul-sattar-edhi/abdul-sattar-edhi-in-milan-speech-pronounced-by-tehmina-durrani/), retrieved July 21, 2016
“My religion is humanitarianism, which is the basis of every religion in the world.”
quote published in Pakistan Studies Journal Pakistaniaat ( Vol. 3 No.2 of 2011 http://pakistaniaat.org/index.php/pak/article/view/129/129/). Retrieved on July 20, 2016
