• Bilquis’ funeral prayers offered at New Memon Masjid Kharadar.
• She passed away in Karachi a day earlier at the age of 74.
• CM Sindh, JI’s Rehman, other leaders present at funeral prayer.

KARACHI: Bilquis Bano Edhi, the wife of renowned humanitarian and philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, was laid to rest at the Mewa Shah graveyard on Saturday — after Zuhr prayers.

Bilquis’ funeral prayers were offered at the New Memon Masjid Kharadar shortly before her burial.

Expressing his grief over the sad demise of his mother, Faisal Edhi said he was left alone, adding that her mother gave him courage after the death of his father.

He paid tribute to Bilquis Edhi and said that she had been managing all the operations of the Edhi Foundation.

A day earlier, Bilquis Bano Edhi passed away at the age of 74 after a brief hospitalisation. 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.

Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah, Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Haiz Naeemur Rehman, and other political leaders were present at the funeral of the philanthropist.

‘Day of mourning’

Meanwhile, the Sindh government has announced to observe a ‘day of mourning’ today on her sad demise.

“#SindhGovt has declared tomorrow as a day of mourning to pay its respect to the contributions made by Bilqees Edhi Sahiba in the field of social service,” Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab said on Friday.

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Born in Indian Gujrat on August 14, 1947, Bilquis was a professional nurse and headed the Bilquis Edhi Foundation. She married Abdul Sattar Edhi 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.

In recognition of her services to humanity, she was awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz by Pakistan, the Lenin Peace Prize by Russia, as well as the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice in 2015.