Dear Sir,

Abdul Sattar Edhi, known as “Angel of Mercy”, was the most loved Pakistani and a legend (“Renowned Pakistani social worker Edhi dies at 88”, Gulf Times, July 9).  Edhi, who died on Friday, is mourned and missed not only by every Pakistani but also by the entire world. He was a philanthropist and a humanitarian, a person who practised what he preached.
He abstained from worldly comforts and pleasures and led a simple and modest life.
A national hero, Edhi created a charitable empire out of nothing. He masterminded Pakistan’s largest welfare organisation, the Edhi Foundation, almost single-handedly and entirely with private donations.
The foundation provides 24-hour emergency assistance across Pakistan and abroad. It provides, among many other services, shelter for the destitute, free hospitals and medical care, drug rehabilitation services and national and international relief efforts.
The foundation has an education scheme that also focuses on vocational activities like paramedical and pharmacy training.
The organisation has held the Guinness Record for world’s largest volunteer ambulance organisation since 1997 with over 2,000 ambulances, responding to over 6,000 calls a day with in around 10 minutes response time.
The organisation owns two private jets, one helicopter and several rescue boats to assist in moving victims from hard-to-reach locations.
The Edhi Foundation also provides relief to refugees in the US, the UK, Canada, Japan and Bangladesh.
It gave aid to victims of the Gulf War and to people hit by earthquakes in Iran and Egypt in the past.
“He wished to be buried in the same clothes he used to wear. He also wanted to donate his body parts, but only his cornea can be donated as rest of the organs were not in healthy condition,”  his son Faisal Edhi said on Friday.
Edhi had been nominated several times for the Nobel Peace Prize, and appeared on the list again this year. I sincerely hope and pray that this superhero of the world gets what he deserves this time.

M Khalid Kamal 
Villa-20, St-220 
Pink Villas, Ain Khalid 
Doha