KARACHI Abdul Sattar Edhi, the founding chief of the Edhi Foundation and the country’s icon of charity and welfare work, passed away on Friday in Karachi, leaving behind a history of dedication, contribution and struggle to improve the lives of millions of poor and underprivileged people, regardless of their beliefs, ethnicity and backgrounds.

The 92-year-old philanthropist breathed his last at around 11.15pm after he was moved to the intensive care unit of the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) in the afternoon, amid deteriorating health conditions while he was undergoing regular dialysis at the health facility. His eldest son and director of the Edhi Foundation, Faisal Edhi, formally announced Mr Edhi’s demise at around 11.35pm outside the SIUT.

“Edhi sahib is no more with us; he left us around 15 minutes ago,” he said in a choked voice with tears rolling down his cheeks before television cameras.

“I appeal to the Pakistani nation to pray for the departed soul. His funeral prayers will be offered tomorrow [Saturday] after Zohar prayers at the National Stadium and he will be buried at Edhi Village, where he already marked his grave some 25 years ago.”

The country plunged into a state of mourning as the news of Mr Edhi’s demise spread over the news headlines. Condolence messages from the prime minister to senior politicians and sports celebrities to showbiz stars started pouring in over the social media, with news channels paying tribute to Edhi, who inspired millions in the country and across the globe as one of the few known for dedication to the cause of humanity.

Earlier, his family had asked for prayers from the nation when Mr Edhi was rushed to the ICU of the SIUT and put on a ventilator amid deteriorating health conditions. Mr Edhi suffered severe breathing problems when he was going through dialysis, his son Faisal told reporters along with his mother Bilquis Edhi, from the Edhi Home, while appealing to people to pray for his early recovery.

“The doctors and other staff are doing their best, but we appeal to the people of Pakistan, whom he has loved the most, to pray for him. He has been facing severe breathing problems as his respiratory system is badly affected. He is on artificial respiration right now,” Faisal had told reporters earlier.

The doctors at the SIUT where Mr Edhi had been going through regular dialysis since 2013 said that despite the combination of new antibiotics and nutritional support, his condition had deteriorated. Due to respiratory difficulties, he was put on the ventilator with intensive monitoring of his health conditions in the ICU.

Having served humanity for more than six decades, Mr Edhi had decided to leave a will before his death. “According to his will, his all body parts or organs have to be donated after his demise,” said Faisal. “But due to poor health conditions, only his eyes can be used. So his cornea will be donated. Under Edhi sahib’s will, he will be buried in the same clothes he wore at the time of his demise.”

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2016