On June 8, 2014 ten suicide militants armed with automatic weapons, a rocket launcher, suicide vests, and grenades, attack Jinnah International Airport Karachi. The Rangers and Army personnel responds through a sweeping operations at airport, and after six hours operation the Airport has been cleared. 36 people have been killed, including all 10 attackers, and 18 others are wounded.
That is the time when Edhi management with its ambulances and social workers, reaches at the tragic scene of Airport, where the Edhi workers after providing free services—like cleaning of bodies, exclusive bathing, as well as shrouding to 12 coffins, and are shifted to their native places, whereas 10 unknown coffins shifted to the Edhi morgue, at Sohrab Goth Karachi, and 30 injured were immediately shifted to Jinnah Hospital Karachi for speedy treatment. In this operation, 30 ambulances, 60 rescue workers of Edhi, participate to assist the security forces and government functionaries, as well as the affected people at the Karachi airport.
This is not the only occasion when Edhi Foundation comes to counter the menace of terrorism with its rescue and rehab services. The Foundation -- led by Abdul Sattar Edhi since 1957 --- has always timely responded in needs. Its minivan ambulances are a common sight across Pakistan, particularly in the aftermath of all-too-frequent terrorist bombings. Specially after 9/11 when the pace of tragic and terror-related incidents picked acceleration, defying all odds it has been a source of great relief for a nation, ruined and still haunted by militancy and terrorism.
With this contextual background when Pakistan national cricket team will start their Test campaign against England at Lords on July 14, 2014, it will be a great honour that they wear EDHI logo on their kit. This also will be the first time in Pakistan cricket team’s history that players from any sport discipline would wear logos of a charitable organisation on their official kit.
The name of (Abdul Sattar) Edhi, who is facing serious illness these days, is synonymous to peace and mankind and having logo of Edhi on national cricket team kits, is just a salute to great Edhi from Pakistan sports circle.
By M. Wasim
mwasim.370@gmail.com
mwasim.370@gmail.com
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