July 08 as National Charity Day

ARY Network proposes July 08, death anniversary of Abdul Sattar Edhi, as National Charity Day.

Celebrated social worker Abdul Sattar Edhi who breathed his last on July 08, opened his first clinic in 1951 to begin his lifelong journey for the welfare of the downtrodden segments of Pakistani society.

Motivated by a spiritual quest for justice, over the years Edhi and his team have created maternity wards, morgues, orphanages, shelters, and homes for the elderly aimed at helping those in society who cannot help themselves.

He was also mentioned in the Guinness Book of world records for the largest fleet of ambulances, offering help to poor sections of the society failed by inadequate public health and welfare services.These 1500 ambulances are the most prominent symbols of the foundation deployed to the scene in case of an emergency or extremist attack.

The foundation's adoption service sees unwanted children -- many of them girls -- left in cradles placed in front of every centre, where they can be safely cared for.

Edhi discovered that many women were killing their unwanted babies at birth often because they were born outside marriage. One newborn child was stoned to death outside a mosque on the orders of religious leaders. He placed a little cradle outside every Edhi centre, beneath a placard saying: "Do not commit another sin: leave your baby in our care." Edhi has so far saved 35,000 babies and and also found families to cherish them.