Thousands mourn Pakistani philanthropist

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) – Celebrated Pakistani philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi – who died on Friday at the age of 92 – was laid to rest in a state-backed ceremony on Saturday in Karachi.

Adorned with the green-and-white national flag, a carriage carrying Edhi’s body was brought to Karachi’s National Cricket Stadium where thousands of mourners, including state dignitaries, were already present.

Accompanied by a guard of honor and featuring a 19-gun salute from the country’s army, the ceremony marked the demise of a man connected to decades of charity work in Pakistan.

Among the attendees were President Mamnoon Hussein, army chief General Raheel Sharif, chiefs of the navy and air force, governors, chief ministers plus political and religious leaders.

As the state carriage left the sprawling stadium for the burial, a smartly turned-out army contingent began the 19-gun salute with thousands loudly reciting verses from the Quran.

Edhi, in accordance with his will, was laid to rest in Edhi Village – a suburb named after him in Karachi’s northern district.

The national flag on all state buildings, including parliament, flew at half-staff. Federal and provincial governments had already announced three days of mourning.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is scheduled to return shortly to Pakistan from London after receiving medical treatment for over a month, also paid tribute to Edhi for his services to humanity spanning more than six decades.

Pakistan’s cricket team, which is on tour in England, wore black armbands during their match against the Somerset county team to mourn Edhi’s death.

Condolences from across the world have continued to pour in. In a tweet, Indian Foreign Minister Shushma paid rich tribute to Edhi, describing him as an iconic social worker.