KARACHI, March 8: Dr Ruth Pfau, founder of the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre and devoted aid worker for earthquake relief, has been chosen as Woman of the Year 2006 by CityFM89.

A press release announcing the decision, marked to coincide with International Women’s Day, pays tribute to Dr Pfau, pointing out how though a German, she has spent more than half of her life helping the leprosy patients of Pakistan, a country that is now her own. “The intensity with which she has worked towards the alleviation of suffering in the northern areas of Pakistan has not changed since the day it began. Subsequently, she moved her efforts to the northern areas of Pakistan, basing herself in Muzaffarabad. Since the Oct 8 earthquake, she has been focusing all her efforts on providing for those still suffering from the disaster. We salute her for her efforts.”

Last year, CityFM89 had named Mukhtaran Mai as Woman of the Year for her courage and her contribution to rural women in Pakistan.