ISLAMABAD: Saad Edhi, the son of Faisal Edhi and grandson of legendary philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, donated $100,000 on behalf of the Edhi Foundation to the victims of a deadly earthquake that struck Indonesia on Sept. 28.
“We will be starting a fundraising campaign next week to extend as much help as possible to the victims of the disastrous tsunami,” Edhi told Arab News.
Indonesia was struck by the tsunami after a 7.5-magnitude earthquake shook the world’s 11th largest island, Sulawesi. According to a census carried out in 2000, the Indonesian island plays host to 7.25 percent of the country’s entire population.
The powerful earthquake wiped out buildings, killing more than 2,000 people with search parties still trying to find victims feared buried under the rubble, mud and debris.
Saad, accompanied by his father, Faisal Edhi, and mother, handed over the donations to the Indonesian Consul General Dempo Awang Yuddie at the Indonesian Consulate in Karachi on Tuesday.
Abdul Sattar Edhi, a famous Pakistani philanthropist and humanitarian, founded the Edhi Foundation in 1951.
The foundation now runs the largest volunteer ambulance network in the world, along with homeless shelters, orphanages, animal shelters and rehabilitation centers across Pakistan. Since his death on July 8, 2016, the Edhi Foundation has been run primarily by his son Faisal and grandson Saad.
Edhi foundation donates $100,000 to Indonesian tsunami victims
Edhi foundation donates $100,000 to Indonesian tsunami victims
- A fundraising campaign is beginning next week, spearheaded by the Edhi Foundation
- The powerful earthquake has killed more than 2,000 people in Indonesia with search parties still trying to find survivors
Pakistan says defense pact with Saudi Arabia elevated brotherly ties to ‘new heights’
- Pakistan, Saudi Arabia signed strategic defense pact last year pledging aggression against one will be treated as attack on both
- Deputy PM Ishaq Dar says enduring bonds with Islamic and Arab nations form vital pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that Pakistan’s defense pact with Saudi Arabia elevated its brotherly ties with the Kingdom to “new heights,” stressing that close ties with Arab and Islamic nations form a key pillar of Islamabad’s foreign policy.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement on Sept. 17 last year, pledging that aggression against one country would be treated as an attack on both, enhancing joint deterrence and formalizing decades of military and security cooperation.
Both nations agreed in October 2025 to launch an economic cooperation framework to strengthen trade and investment ties.
“In the Middle East, our landmark Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement with Saudi Arabia has elevated our brotherly ties to new heights,” Dar said while speaking at the Pakistan Governance Forum 2026 event in Islamabad.
The Pakistani deputy prime minister was speaking on the topic “Navigating International Relations Amidst Changing Geo-Politics.”
Dar noted that Pakistan has reinforced partnerships with other Middle Eastern nations such as the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Egypt and Bahrain. He said these partnerships have yielded “concrete agreements” in investment, agriculture, infrastructure, and energy sectors.
“Our enduring bonds with Islamic and Arab nations form a vital pillar of our foreign policy, and we will continue to expand our partnerships across Asia, Latin America, and Africa,” he said.
Dar pointed out that the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have undertaken visits to Pakistan in recent months, reflecting Central Asian nations’ desire to boost cooperation with Islamabad.
On South Asia, the Pakistani deputy PM said Pakistan has successfully transformed its fraternal ties with Bangladesh into “a substantive partnership.”
“Similarly, the trilateral mechanism involving China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh has been launched with a view to expanding and deepening regional cooperation and synergy,” the Pakistani minister said.
He said Islamabad has strengthened its “all-weather” partnership with China via the second phase of the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor agreement and “unwavering support” from both sides for each other’s core interests.
Dar said Pakistan had also reinvigorated its partnership with the US, advancing cooperation in trade, technology, investment, and regional stability.
“This calibrated approach has enhanced our ability to navigate complexity with skill and confidence, ensuring that our national interests are served without compromising our core foreign policy principles,” he said.
