PinkyGul Heroines
Bilquis Bano Edh, wife of Abdul Sattar Edhi, is a professional nurse and one of the most active philanthropists in Pakistan. She has been nicknamed The Mother of Pakistan. She was born in 1947 in Karachi. She heads the Bilquis Edhi Foundation, and with her husband received the 1986 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service. Her charity runs many services in Pakistan including a hospital and emergency service in Karachi. Together with her husband their charity has saved over 16,000 unwanted babies.
It is true, as the saying goes: “Behind every great man there’s a great woman”; Bilquis Edhi has endeavoured to a noble cause.
Bilquis Edhi vividly remembers her first major experience at Edhi Foundation, when during the war; the bombings resulted in a number of brutally mutilated bodies which she had to wash for burial. At times only an arm, leg or head was recovered. She, along with about 60-70 workers including voluntary workers, collected and then washed these bodies.
Besides lending tremendous support to Edhi Sahib’s cause, Bilquis Edhi has also contributed greatly through identifying new areas of public welfare, thus adding to the number of services offered at the Edhi Foundation. The ‘Highways Project’, for instance, includes paramedical staff equipped with emergency ambulance service at Edhi Centers located every 25 Kms along the Karachi-Peshawar highway; it was the brainchild of Bilquis Edhi, according to Anwar Kazmi, Edhi Sahib’s personal secretary. Apparently, on one of her trips to Europe, She had observed such an arrangement on the highways there and thought the need was there for a similar arrangement in Pakistan.
Her current responsibilities include looking after the ladies section, giving away children for adoption – mostly looking after women-specific and children related sections throughout Pakistan. Her two daughters also work closely with me. She regularly visits Edhi Homes all over Pakistan to monitor their activities and give suggestions and recommendations on how she feels the work should be done. She is also instrumental in making Edhi Homes ‘Centers of Excellence’ – in the true sense of the word.
Edhi and her husband have received a number of awards in recognition of their work. In July 2007 they were publicly recognised for their work by President Pervez Musharraf who made a contribution of 100,000 rupees (from his own pocket) and he particularly noted that their work provided social services to the poor of Pakistan without any discrimination.
PinkyGul Heroines
Bilquis Bano Edh, wife of Abdul Sattar Edhi, is a professional nurse and one of the most active philanthropists in Pakistan. She has been nicknamed The Mother of Pakistan. She was born in 1947 in Karachi. She heads the Bilquis Edhi Foundation, and with her husband received the 1986 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service. Her charity runs many services in Pakistan including a hospital and emergency service in Karachi. Together with her husband their charity has saved over 16,000 unwanted babies.
It is true, as the saying goes: “Behind every great man there’s a great woman”; Bilquis Edhi has endeavoured to a noble cause.
Bilquis Edhi vividly remembers her first major experience at Edhi Foundation, when during the war; the bombings resulted in a number of brutally mutilated bodies which she had to wash for burial. At times only an arm, leg or head was recovered. She, along with about 60-70 workers including voluntary workers, collected and then washed these bodies.
Besides lending tremendous support to Edhi Sahib’s cause, Bilquis Edhi has also contributed greatly through identifying new areas of public welfare, thus adding to the number of services offered at the Edhi Foundation. The ‘Highways Project’, for instance, includes paramedical staff equipped with emergency ambulance service at Edhi Centers located every 25 Kms along the Karachi-Peshawar highway; it was the brainchild of Bilquis Edhi, according to Anwar Kazmi, Edhi Sahib’s personal secretary. Apparently, on one of her trips to Europe, She had observed such an arrangement on the highways there and thought the need was there for a similar arrangement in Pakistan.
Her current responsibilities include looking after the ladies section, giving away children for adoption – mostly looking after women-specific and children related sections throughout Pakistan. Her two daughters also work closely with me. She regularly visits Edhi Homes all over Pakistan to monitor their activities and give suggestions and recommendations on how she feels the work should be done. She is also instrumental in making Edhi Homes ‘Centers of Excellence’ – in the true sense of the word.
Edhi and her husband have received a number of awards in recognition of their work. In July 2007 they were publicly recognised for their work by President Pervez Musharraf who made a contribution of 100,000 rupees (from his own pocket) and he particularly noted that their work provided social services to the poor of Pakistan without any discrimination.
