Philanthropist & humanitarian Bilquis Bano Edhi passes away at 74 in Karachi.

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD -- Philanthropist and humanitarian Bilquis Bano Edhi passed away at a Karachi hospital at the age of 74 on Friday.

Her death was confirmed by her son Faisal Edhi, who also said that the funeral would be announced shortly.

Earlier this week, Bilquis - the wife of renowned humanitarian and philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi - was rushed to a private hospital in Karachi after her blood pressure suddenly dropped.

At the time, Edhi Foundation Spokesperson Muhammad Bilal said she would remain at the hospital for a couple more days even though her condition was not serious. He had added that Bilquis had congestive heart failure and she has already undergone bypass procedure twice.

Bilquis was a professional nurse and headed the Bilquis Edhi Foundation. She spent more than six decades of her life serving humanity. Her charity saved over thousands of unwanted babies by placing jhoolas (cradles) at Edhi Homes and centres across the country.

Called the Mother of Pakistan, she was awarded various national and foreign awards including the Hilal-i-Imtiaz, the Lenin Peace Prize, Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice (2015), and the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service, which she received along with her husband in 1986.

Last year, she was also declared the 'Person of the Decade', along with UN rapporteur on human rights Prof Yanghee Lee and the US ethicist Stephen Soldz by an international organisation.

Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif termed Bilquis' death "a huge loss for the nation". "An incredible woman in her own right, she stood by Edhi sahab like a rock and together they set up an example of human compassion and ran one of the largest...