Govt to issue special coin in honour of Dr Ruth Pfau

 

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday authorised the issuance of a commemorative coin in honour of late humanitarian Dr Ruth Pfau, who dedicated a lifetime to fighting leprosy in the country.

The decision to issue the special coin was taken in a cabinet session earlier today.

The government has authorised the State Bank of Pakistan to issue a coin worth Rs50 in recognition of Dr Pfau’s service.

The SBP will issue 50,000 commemorative coins of Rs50 each.  

The German-Pakistani doctor breathed her last after a prolonged illness on August 10, 2017, at a private hospital in Karachi. She was 87.

Dr Pfau is the second person to be accorded a state funeral in 29 years, with the last one offered for late philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi in 2016.

“The entire nation is indebted to Ruth Pfau for her selfless and unmatched services for the eradication of leprosy. We are proud of her exemplary services and she will remain in our hearts as a shining symbol in times ahead," Prime Minister Abbasi had said.

Dr Pfau visited Pakistan in the 1960s and ended up staying, adopting Pakistan as her new home as she dedicated her life to taking care of leprosy patients.

It was due to her endless struggle that Pakistan defeated the disease and became leprosy-free in 1996.

She was granted Pakistani citizenship in 1988 and received numerous accolades for her services, including the country's top civilian awards Hilal-i-Imtiaz and Hilal-i-Pakistan.