WEB DESK
Bilquis Bano Edhi, the widow of renowned humanitarian and philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, passed away on Friday after a brief illness. She was 74.
She was admitted to a hospital in Karachi for three days and was rushed there after her blood pressure had suddenly dropped. According to an Edhi Foundation spokesperson, Bilquis was ill for the last one month.
“Though she is not in a serious condition, she will remain in the hospital for a couple of more days,” the spokesperson of the Edhi Foundation Muhammad Bilal had said.
Earlier, Pakistan’s towering philanthropist and humanitarian was declared the “Person of the Decade”, along with human rights rapporteur of the UN Prof Yanghee Lee and the US ethicist Stephen Soldz.
A spokesperson for the Edhi Foundation had said that as per the domino effect verdict, announced on Friday by the Impact Hallmarks, Bilquis Edhi was declared the most impactful person of the first two decades of the 21st century.
Bilquis was a professional nurse and headed the Bilquis Edhi Foundation. Abdul Sattar Edhi had proposed to her and they got married in April 1966.
She spent more than six decades of her life serving humanity in need.
Her charity has saved over 42,000 unwanted babies so far by placing “jhoolas” [cradles] at the Edhi Homes and centres across the country.
She leaves behind four children, Faisal, Kubra, Zeenat and Almas from her marriage with Abdul Sattar Edhi.
Pak President Arif Alvi expressed his sadness on the passing of Bilquis Edhi.
“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,” tweeted the President House.