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
Pakistani, Bangladeshi officials discuss trade, investment and aviation as ties thaw
- Pakistan and Bangladesh were once one nation, but they split in 1971 as a result of a bloody civil war
- Ties between Pakistan, Bangladesh have warmed up since last year and both nations have resumed sea trade
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Haider on Sunday met Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka, the latter's office said on, with the two figures discussing trade, investment and aviation.
Pakistan and Bangladesh were once one nation, but they split in 1971 as a result of a bloody civil war, which saw the part previously referred to as East Pakistan seceding to form the independent nation of Bangladesh.
Ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh have warmed up since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster as a result of a student-led uprising in August 2024. Relations remain frosty between Dhaka and New Delhi over India’s decision to grant asylum to Hasina.
Pakistan has attempted to forge closer ties with Bangladesh in recent months and both South Asian nations last year began sea trade, followed by efforts to expand government-to-government commerce.
"During the meeting, both sides discussed ways to expand cooperation in trade, investment, and aviation as well as scaling up cultural, educational and medical exchanges to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two South Asian nations," Yunus's office said in a statement on X.
In 2023-24 Pakistan exported goods worth $661 million to Bangladesh, while its imports were only $57 million, according to the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan. In Aug. this year, the Pakistani and Bangladeshi commerce ministries signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a Joint Working Group on Trade, aiming to raise their bilateral trade volume to $1 billion in the financial year that began in July.
The Pakistani high commissioner noted that bilateral trade has recorded a 20 percent growth compared to last year, with business communities from both countries actively exploring new investment opportunities, according to the statement.
He highlighted a significant increase in cultural exchanges, adding that Bangladeshi students have shown strong interest in higher education opportunities in Pakistan, particularly in medical sciences, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence. Haider also said that Dhaka-Karachi direct flights are expected to start in January.
"Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus welcomed the growing interactions between the two countries and emphasized the importance of increased visits as well as cultural, educational and people-to-people exchanges among SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) member states," the statement read.
"Professor Yunus also underscored the need to further boost Bangladesh–Pakistan trade and expressed hope that during Mr. Haider’s tenure, both countries would explore new avenues for investment and joint venture businesses."
