Philanthropists Who Made Pakistan Proud

Pakistanis are generous in the spirit of giving and sharing. Many people have the desire to live their lives for the benefit of others, and they inspire us on a daily basis. The philanthropists listed below have made Pakistan proud with their notable humanitarian services. Check them out:

Ramzan Chhipa

Chhipa Welfare Association was founded by Ramzan Chhipa. He was also awarded the Sitara e Imtiaz for his outstanding contributions to social welfare. The 1987 Bohri Bazar bombings changed his life forever. He promised himself that he would devote the rest of his life to helping humanity. With a 24-hour rescue service, Chhipa Welfare also cares for abandoned babies, provides daily meals to low-income families, and has the largest fleet of ambulances. He will most likely be Pakistan's next Edhi.

Maulana Bashir Farooqi Qadri (Saylani Welfare Trust)

Saylani Welfare Trust was founded in 1999 by one of Pakistan's most prominent philanthropists, Molana Bashir Farooq Qadri. It is based in Karachi and focuses on feeding the homeless. Molana Bashir Farooq Qadri, a renowned religious scholar, founded it. Through its more than 100 'Dastarkhuwans,' the trust feeds 30000 poor and homeless people twice a day. The trust also launched a program to provide CNG Rickshaws to unemployed people. Various medical centers and dispensaries are also provided at no cost.

The Citizens Foundation

TCF is one of the largest non-profit organizations in Pakistan, focusing on education in rural and slum areas. It was founded by a group of citizens who shared a desire to help others. They began with five schools and have since expanded to over 1000 schools nationwide, educating approximately 150,000 students. TCF charges students on a pay-what-you-can basis. In order to provide quality education, they also have scholarship programs and a teacher training center. The Citizen's Foundation also ran relief operations in earthquake-affected areas of Pakistan, distributing food and clothing and constructing 21 schools to assist affected children.

Asma Jahangir

Asma Jahangir is the founder of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and a former UN special reporter. She is the first woman ever to become the president of Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan. Her career is all about defending human and women's rights, and the rights of religious minorities and children in Pakistan. In 1986 Asma and her sister Hina set up AGHS Legal Aid, the first free legal aid center in Pakistan. She has also campaigned against human rights abuses taking place in government and police custody in Pakistan. The Economist mentioned her as the “boss of the country’s human-rights commission”. She has received many national and international awards including Hilal e Imtiaz, Sitara e Imtiaz and Ramon Magsaysay Award. Asma ranked fifth in our list of philanthropists who made Pakistan proud.

Dr Adeebul Hasan Rizvi

Dr. Rizvi founded the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), Pakistan's largest and most prestigious Urology and Transplantation Institute. SIUT provides cutting-edge medical facilities to all indigent patients at no cost. Their motivation is that no one should die simply because they cannot afford disease treatment. Dr. Rizvi's efforts have resulted in Pakistan becoming one of the countries where cadaver organ transplantation is a reality.

Dr. Ruth Pfau

Ruth Katherina, M.D. Martha Pfau was born in Leipzig, Germany in 1929, but she is now regarded as one of the top ten philanthropists who have made Pakistan proud. Dr. Pfau desired to help people and do something other than simply live her life. As a result, she entered a Catholic order and dedicated the rest of her life to the people of Pakistan. She concentrated on the country's Leprosy outbreak and began treating leprosy patients in a hut in the slum area of Macleod Road. People came from all over the country, as well as India and Afghanistan, for treatment. She has received the country's highest civil award, the "Nishan e Qaid e Azam," as well as eight other national honors.

Ansar Burney

Burney has the credit of actually introducing the concept of human rights in Pakistan. After completion of his Law degree, Ansar Burney trust was initially established for the welfare of prisoners but with the passage of time it widened its network and now covers all the areas of human rights. He was also appointed as Federal Human Rights Minister in 2007 and was later elected as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council Advisory Committee in 2008. He successfully handled some international cases which include the release of 22 hostages from Somali pirates also included Indian, Egyptian and Sri Lankan hostages. He has received over 250 national and international awards and honors in a period of thirty years for his remarkable services for human rights.

Abdul Sattar Edhi & Bilquis Edhi

Abdul Sattar Edhi is the founder of Edhi Foundation. Starting with a small dispensary more than sixty years ago, the organization now has its centers all over the country which include orphanages, old houses, clinics, food centers for the homeless, drug rehabilitation centers, women's shelters and world’s largest “volunteer emergency ambulance service”.

His wife also runs a maternity home and takes care of the adoption of illegitimate and abandoned babies. Whether it is an earthquake in Nepal or bombings in Gaza, Edhi does his best to reach the needy and devastated. Along with 9 national honors, Edhi has won 16 international awards for his remarkable services and was also nominated for Nobel peace prize. The Guardian mentioned him as ‘a legendary charity worker known for his asceticism’. He is also referred to as the greatest living humanitarian in the world and one of the greatest philanthropists who made Pakistan proud.