First Jinnah Award to Abdul Sattar Edhi

Abdul Sattar Edhi was a simple and humble man who dedicated his entire life to serving the poor, needy, ailing and homeless children, women and men wherever and whenever he found them. He was the man who picked up babies from the road side and from doorsteps, gave refuge to orphans, destitute women and children and to the homeless including drug addicts. He was the man who established and operated orphanages, homes, medical clinics for the poor and gave the last bath to dead persons whenever and wherever they were found and arranged for their burial with dignity. He was undoubtedly Pakistan's most revered figure, a legend in his own life time.
Political and military leaders of all ranks and affiliation flocked to see him during his final days in hospital and also attended his funeral. His send-off from this world was grand and impressive but none of those celebratory demonstrations of goodwill would have impressed Abdul Sattar Edhi.
Realizing the true character and selfless dedication of Abdul Sattar Edhi to Pakistan and Pakistan's citizens, the Jinnah Society unanimously chose him for the First Jinnah Award in April, 1998 and I still recall with pride my first meeting with him in early 1998 when I went to his office in Karachi to seek his concurrence for acceptance of the Jinnah Award and his agreement to attend a function of Jinnah Society which he very happily did.
The first ever Jinnah Award in Pakistan was conferred on Abdul Sattar Edhi on Friday 3rd April, 1998 at Quaid-e-Azam House Museum where Jinnah Society had arranged an elaborate programme at which the First Jinnah Award was conferred on Abdul Sattar Edhi by the then Governor of Sindh Lieutenant General Moinuddin Haider on behalf of the members of the Jinnah Society. This event received very wide coverage in the print media and forms part of the Jinnah Society records and is also recorded in the Jinnah Anthology which was compiled and edited by Professor Sharif-ul-Mujahid and myself. This event and the photographs that we have of Abdul Sattar Edhi will always remain alive in our hearts as a person like Abdul Sattar Edhi is born perhaps only once in a 100 years.