Pakistan: New Coin to Commemorate Philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi

[Bimat]

State Bank directed to issue commemorative coin in honour of Edhi

July 12, 2016 @ 11:27 AM

KARACHI: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed the State Bank of Pakistan to issue a commemorative coin in honour of the revered humanitarian and philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi who passed away on July 8.

Governor State Bank Ashraf Mahmood Wathra visited Edhi Home in Methadar on Monday and offered condolences to Faisal Edhi and his family over demise of the iconic social worker.

As per reports, The SBP has issued 26 coins so far to commemorate national heroes and special occasions.

Mr. Edhi's death came as a great shock to the world and condolences poured in from different circles.

Edhi was revered for setting up maternity wards, morgues, orphanages, shelters and homes for the elderly, picking up where limited government-run services fell short.

The government had announced a state funeral and day of national mourning in honour of the man who owned just two sets of clothes, but whose work uplifting the nation's destitute and orphans cemented his place in the hearts of Pakistan's masses.

Edhi, known as a 'servant of humanity' and who also ran the world's largest private ambulance network, was suffering from severe kidney problems.

Source: Ary News

[Bimat]

SBP to issue Rs 50 coins in honour of Edhi

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has decided to issue commemorative coins of Rs 50 in honour of iconic social worker Abdul Sattar Edhi who passed away last week.

SBP Governor Ashraf Mahmood Wathra announced this while addressing a condolence gathering to pay tributes to late Abdul Sattar Edhi on Saturday. Faisal Edhi, son of Abdul Sattar Edhi, philanthropists, representatives of financial sector and senior management of the central bank attended the event.

Paying tributes to the celebrated humanitarian, the SBP governor said that developing countries generally face lack of welfare facilities and private sector in such countries filled the void. He complemented late Abdul Sattar Edhi for being among the first ones to come forward for the cause of humanity in the country.

"Though there was no dearth of welfare organisations in the country but he stood apart with the rest of organisations as he did not seek elaborate gatherings for fund raising, rather he depended upon common people of Pakistan for the purpose," the governor maintained. He recalled that services rendered by Edhi had been recognised locally as well as internationally. He felt proud of being a member of the Jinnah Society when it conferred an award on Edhi for his outstanding services. He urged upon the members of financial services, presidents of commercial banks and other high ranking officials to come forward and fully cooperate with the Edhi Foundation and other social welfare organisations under 'corporate social responsibility' thus enabling them to continue serving the masses.

Recounting services of Edhi, Jinnah Society President Liaquat Merchant said that Edhi was at the forefront to serve humanity in any eventuality. "He was a legend in his lifetime and people like him were born in 100 years time." Pakistan Banks Association Chairman Aftab Manzoor called late Edhi as the greatest humanitarian and beacon of hope in face of every distress and calamity.

Faisal Edhi said, "Although he [Edhi] has gone but his memories and mission are with us." He said Sikhs, Christians, Hindus as well as Muslims belonging to various sects prayed together for eternal peace of the departed soul. "I am sure that his mission cannot be stopped." Later, he requested the public to donate Rs 1 each for purchasing 100 large ambulances. He said that mission of resource generation would be started from the Quaid's mausoleum. He also requested the public to start donating their body organs and participate in a scheme being launched by the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT).

Source: Daily Times

[Bimat]

Meet the artist making Abdul Sattar Edhi's commemorative coin

By Mehek Saeed / Photo: Usman Saeed
Published: August 6, 2016

LAHORE: Walking into artist Saeed Akhtar's room in his studio is a veritable lesson on Pakistani history. Among his recent undertakings of sculpting humanitarian Abdul Sattar Edhi's portrait for a commemorative coin laid his impressions of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal, the pictures with which we recognise these leaders today.

Following his demise, Edhi was given a state funeral with most of the top government functionaries flying into Karachi to attend it. Soon the State Bank of Pakistan announced that it will issue a coin in his honour.

"The day Edhi died, a news channel came to me and asked for a sketch of him so I complied. A friend of mine who is one of Pakistan's foremost stamp designers, Adil Salahuddin, decided to make a stamp of the same sketch," he told The Express Tribune.

Salahuddin said State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Museum and Art Gallery Director Dr Asma Ibrahim sent a request to Pakistan Mint, recommending the government task its old-time collaborator Akhtar with the job of doing the coin. "Now, he's designed it and we're waiting for Pakistan Mint to proceed," the stamp designer added.

When approached, SBP Chief Spokesperson Abid Qamar said work on the coin is underway and the media will be apprised on the development soon.

While the coin portrait awaits action on part of the state treasury, the stamp has already been forwarded to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif by Pakistan Post director general. "There is too much red tape involved so these things rarely happen on time," Salahuddin said.

Unique milestone

Akhtar is an artist whose works have seen a home in almost every pocket, wallet, purse and piggy bank in this country – he has made portraits for every coin issued by the Pakistan state since 1976, the year of the Quaid centennial. He even made Iqbal's portrait that was stamped on coins issued in 1977 but these were soon discontinued.

Before 2008, there was not a single president or prime minister's portrait on any Pakistani coin until the government issued a Rs10 coin in memory of Benazir Bhutto and this time, Akhtar refused.

"They told me to make it in a few days, but the process takes months so I told them to do it themselves," he quipped.  “Some things are commissioned work but other things you do from your heart like this Edhi work but the government is not very supportive."

Quaid painting

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto took oath as president under the watchful eye of a Quaid-e-Azam painting that once stood tall at the Lower House. "I got a chance to meet him and he told me that it was the most beautiful painting of the Quaid that he had ever seen," Akhtar recalled.

Under direct orders of the president, who took personal interest in the endeavour, Akhtar was summoned to create paintings of heroes of the past for the Aiwan-e-Sadar.  "He told me I would be provided with all the references I needed so I started with Muhammad bin Qasim and Tipu Sultan's paintings."

By the time Benazir Bhutto came to power, the Quaid painting was not in the best of conditions. "Her cabinet refused to pay Abbu for a new painting to replace the old one. Instead they hired some other artist to produce a copy of the original," said Usman Saeed, Akhtar's son and a photographer and painter himself.

The original was soon dumped and today it is present at the National Database and Registration Authority Islamabad office in a sorry state. Usman shared that he visited Islamabad, took multiple photographs and tried to garner attention for its restoration but it did not help much. "Zulfikar Ali Bhutto used to respect the artists of the country. It was all downhill from there," Akhtar pitched in.

Like most people of the arts from his generation, Akhtar too today cannot help but lament the state of affairs. "There is no cultural body, no one to understand the power of art and the fact that art and politics have always progressed together." He feels the government today has no sense of the arts.

Source: The Express Tribune

Image Caption: Akhtar has sculpted the late humanitarian's picture in plasticine. PHOTO COURTESY: USMAN SAEED

[Bimat]

SBP to issue commemorative coin of Rs50 in memory of Edhi

KARACHI -  State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Ashraf Mahmood Wathra has announced that commemorative coin of Rs50 in memory of Abdul Sattar Edhi will be issued in March 2017 as a small token of appreciation for his selfless services for the country.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of exhibition of pencil sketches of Abdul Sattar Edhi by Jimmy Engineer at State Bank Museum & Art Gallery on Monday, the State Bank of Pakistan governor also requested CEOs of banks to dedicate some of their CSR activities to promote art and heritage in the country.

The SBP governor, accompanied by Faisal Edhi and Jimmy Engineer, inaugurated the exhibition of pencil sketches of Abdul Sattar Edhi.

Jimmy Engineer through his pencil sketches of Abdul Sattar Edhi has portrayed the pain and sympathy Edhi felt for the needy people. The sketches also reflected love and dedication of Edhi to the downtrodden of the society. The sketches portray the hardships Edhi faced to carry out his mission of humanitarianism.

Speaking on the occasion, the SBP governor acknowledged the services of great philanthropist, and human right activist Adbul Sattar Edhi. He also lauded dedication of Jimmy Engineer for making sketches of the great philanthropist.

It may be recalled here that the work on design of Rs50 commemorative coin in memory of late Abdul Sattar Edhi was already in progress after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had accorded its approval in the cabinet meeting held on July 15, 2016.

While speaking on the occasion, Jimmy Engineer said that he received great inspiration from the services of Edhi rendered to the mankind. He said Edhi is a legend for the whole world. He said he had been drawing sketches of late Edhi as no person in any other country could equal splendid services rendered by late Edhi.

Faisal Edhi also spoke on the occasion and thanked on behalf of family of Edhi and Edhi Foundation for holding the ceremony in the memory of Abdul Sattar Edhi. He felt satisfaction that services of late Edhi will be remembered through art work of Jimmy Engineer.

After the inaugural ceremony, the State Bank of Pakistan governor performed ribbon cutting of the exhibition and visited the exhibition site in SBP's Museum and Art Gallery with Faisal Edhi, Jimmy Engineer and other dignitaries and guests.

Source: The Nation

[Bimat]

SBP to issue Rs50 Edhi commemorative coin from March 31

APP
March 28, 2017

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) would issue Rs50 commemorative coin to honour the services of late philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi from March 31, 2017, it said in a statement on Tuesday.

The SBP said that keeping in view the meritorious services rendered by Abdul Sattar Edhi for humanity in general and Pakistanis in particular, the federal government had decided to issue a commemorative coin in memory of late philanthropist in a cabinet meeting held on Friday, July 15, 2016.

Subsequently, the SBP was authorised to issue Rs50 commemorative coin.

These coins will be issued through the exchange counters of all the field offices of SBP Banking Services Corporation from March 31, 2017, read the statement.

The metal composition, shape, dimension and design of the coin are as under:

Metal composition: Cupro-Nickel, Copper 75% and Nickel 25%

Dimension: 30.0 mm Weight: 13.5 grams

Obverse: The waxing crescent moon and five pointed star facing North West inrising position is in the center.

The periphery on the top of the crescent star is inscribed in the wording 'Islami Jamhoria Pakistan' in Urdu script.

Below the crescent and at the top of two springs of wheat with arms curved upward, there is the year of death of Abdul Sattar Edhi.

The face value of the coin in numeral '50' in bold letters and 'RUPIA' in Urdu script are written on the right and left sides of the crescent star respectively.

Source: Geo TV

[Bimat]

Here's the actual minted coin, image source: The Nation

Aditya

[malawi]

Thanks Bimat !

minted for real circulation, or only for collectors?

[Figleaf]

Nice coin. A highly worthy subject and a satisfactory design too.

A cu-ni coin with a face value of 45 eurocents. Very likely to be for circulation.

Peter

[Bimat]

These coins indeed circulate and often turn up in rummage trays of Indian coin dealers.

Aditya

[andyg]

These coins indeed circulate and often turn up in rummage trays of Indian coin dealers.

Aditya

It's a bit weird though having a coin series 1-2-5-50 (Rupees)?

[Bimat]

It's a bit weird though having a coin series 1-2-5-50 (Rupees)?

Pakistan also has a circulating Rs. 20 coin (no regular issue, only commemoratives)...

Aditya