Armed robbers raided the home of on Sunday, one of Pakistan’s most revered figures , stealing cash and gold held by his hugely respected social welfare foundation.
Abdul Sattar Edhi, an 88-year-old social entrepreneur who has spent a lifetime building up Pakistan’s largest health charity, was sleeping when up to 10 armed men raided the humble building in a Karachi slum that serves as both his residence and the headquarters of the Edhi Foundation.
His family and staff said they initially thought the men were among the normal flow of people who visit a man many Pakistanis say had a stronger claim to win the Nobel peace prize than Malala Yousafzai, the 17-year-old education activist who won the award this month.
Edhi’s grandson, Ahmed, said the men demanded the keys for secure lockers where the foundation keeps valuables.
Edhi refused but they smashed their way inside and stole 5kg of gold and $200,000 (£124,000).
“It is the first time anything like this has happened,” said Ahmed. “They came, held the staff hostage and put a pistol on [Edhi] so that he would give the keys.”
Ahmed said much of the money and gold belonged to members of the public, who are allowed to store cash and valuables with the charity.
It is one of the many free services offered for the poor and sick that are run from the small building in Mithadar, one of Karachi’s oldest neighbourhoods.
From there Edhi runs a network of hospitals and ambulances – including a medical evacuation aircraft – as well as animal sanctuaries and offices around the world that raise funds from the Pakistani diaspora.
The huge organisation grew out of his first charitable efforts in the late 1950s, when he borrowed money to rent tents and buy medicine to offer free treatment to victims of an Asian flu epidemic.
Even in a city racked by terrorism and crime the targeting of Edhi shocked many in a country where he is widely admired.
“He is an icon for Karachi and for Pakistan so robbing him is really the depth of depravity,” said Sherry Rehman, a veteran politician and Karachi resident. “He was not a polariser but someone who brings all the country together.”
Crime in the sprawling coastal city of 20m is notoriously bad. In September last year the government ordered the army to help police clean up the city.
Although scores of alleged criminals and terrorists have been killed or arrested, long-standing residents say the results have been mixed.
“I just feel like crying that a man with such a high nature, and spent his whole life helping others should be targeted like this,” said Ahmed Chinoy, head of Karachi’s citizen police liaison committee.
“It is really a shame for all law enforcement agencies. It has just exposed the authorities and security arrangements over here.”
