ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thursday expressed deep sorrow over the sad demise of Dr Ruth Pfau and lauded her patriotism and service to humanity.
“Dr Ruth Pfau may have been born in Germany, but her heart was always in Pakistan,” the prime minister said in a message.
“Dr Ruth came to Pakistan here at the dawn of a young nation, looking to make lives better for those afflicted by disease, and in doing so, found herself a home.”
“We will remember her for her courage, her loyalty, her service to the eradication of leprosy, and most of all, her patriotism,” the prime minister said.
Dr Ruth Pfau breathed her last at a private hospital in Islamabad after a protracted illness on Thursday at the age of 87. Her funeral prayers will be offered at St Patrick’s Church on August 19.
Born in Germany, Dr Ruth Pfau came to Pakistan in the 1960s and dedicated her life to fighting leprosy. She was granted Pakistani citizenship in 1988 and was widely recognised for her service to humanity.
It was due to the endless struggle of Dr Ruth Pfau that Pakistan defeated the disease and became leprosy-free in 1996.
