Humanitarian and philanthropist Bilquis Bano Edhi has passed away at the age of 74, family sources confirmed on Friday.
Bilquis, wife of renowned humanitarian and philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, was taken to a private hospital in Karachi three days ago after her blood pressure suddenly dropped.
Earlier, a spokesperson of the Edhi Foundation told media that Bilquis was ill for the past month. According to him, Bilquis had congestive heart failure, and had twice underwent heart bypass surgery.
Bilquis was one of the most active philanthropists in the country. She co-chaired the Edhi Foundation with her son Faisal Edhi after her husband’s demise in 2016.
Bilquis received multiple national and foreign awards including the Hilal-e-Imtiaz, the Lenin Peace Prize, Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice (2015), and the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service.
Last year, she was also declared the 'Person of the Decade' along with human rights rapporteur of the UN Prof Yanghee Lee and US ethicist Stephen Soldz.
Condolences pour in
Condolences soon started to pour in for the philanthropist and humanitarian.
The president of Pakistan said "Bilquis Edhi Sahiba 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."
"The passing of Bilquis Edhi is a huge loss for the nation," tweeted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. "An incredible woman in her own right, she stood by Edhi sb. like a rock & together they set up an example of human compassion & ran one of the largest philanthropic organisations of the world. May her soul rest in peace!"
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) Dr Yasmin Rashid also offered her condolence.
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