The Sindh government has announced that it would produce a feature film about the life and work of Abdul Sattar Edhi, the late PhilanthropE and founder of the EDHI Foundation.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Sindh of Information Sharjeel Inam Memon during a film festival held in Karachi. He highlighted the importance of cinema as a medium to shape public stories, declaring that if India has actually used films to project its national story on a global scale, Pakistan has not yet fully exploited this potential.
“There are countless historical and social stories in Pakistan which, if they are brought to the screen, could not only highlight our cultural wealth, but also familiarize the young generations with national heroes,” said Memon.
He underlined the need to tell the stories of those who have made important contributions to various fields, calling it a timely and necessary company.
The Information Department, he added, collaborates with the veteran filmmaker Satish Anand to produce the film on the life of Edhi, although more details on the project are not yet shared.
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Abdul Sattar Edhi, largely venerated as “the father of the poor” and “the angel of mercy”, dedicated his life to humanitarian service. Born in Gujarat in 1928, Edhi emigrated to Pakistan in 1947. In 1951, he opened his first clinic, marking the beginning of what would become the largest and most respected charity network in the country.
Nominated on several occasions for the Nobel Peace Prize, Edhi and his team have built a vast network of social services: maternity houses, orphanages, shelters, morgues, houses for the elderly and rehabilitation centers for mental and physically – all intended to help the most vulnerable.
His wife, Bilquis Edhi, a nurse by profession, continues to supervise the shelters of women and the adoption of orphans. The EDHI Foundation facilitated the adoption of around 25,000 children.
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Today, the foundation manages blood banks, mobile clinics, ophthalmology and diabetes, surgical units, a cancer hospital and shelters for abused women and displaced people. He also supports prisoners, psychiatric patients and accident victims thanks to various awareness initiatives.
Before his death in 2016, Edhi launched the 50 km Edhi project, focused on emergency aid for road accident victims on Pakistan motorways.
The planned film seeks to honor its lasting heritage and to present new generations to the life of a man who devoted himself to the service of humanity.
