“I believe in nature and humanity and am here to serve the common people of Pakistan. There is a great deal of suffering in this country and I’m here to help.”

Beware of those who attribute petty instructions to God.

It is my principle never to accept any donations from any government or any foreign funded organisation.

I want to create awareness amongst the common people of Pakistan and I generally appeal to the Pakistani people living here and abroad for help and they provide me with the necessary resources.

It is because of my principle that people continue to give.

My religion is humanitarianism, which is the basis of every religion in the world.

I do this work for the common people and part of that work is creating a general awareness of such problems as they exist because my work is beyond class, religion and creed.

People have become educated, but have not become human.

One time there was a student at Punjab University in Lahore who came down with cancer and his friend came to me for help. I stood outside on the street in Lahore and asked the people in that city for help. Within four or five hours, I received more than 40 million rupees [more than US $670,000].

People know that I have adopted four principles in living my life: simple living, punctuality, hard work and prudence.

The common people don’t believe this kind of religion [of islamic fundamentalists] because first and foremost they want to solve their basic problems, including human rights and economic.

You have to care for all beings created by God…My mission is to help any person in need.

No religion is higher than humanity

The basic problem affecting the Pakistan today is human rights. Islamic fundamentalists have no roots among the common people and while they are pushing hard for religious fundamentalists to take hold, the common people still seek change through humanitarian and common human rights law.

The attitude of the Pakistani people is very good. Whenever I release any statement or deliver any kind of speech, they respond favourably.

I’m most proud of the ambulance service. This is emergency work. Many times Edhi ambulances are the first to arrive and save people’s lives. I’m very proud of this.

Let’s face it. Umpiring is not an easy or happy way to make a living. In the abuse they suffer, and the pay they get for it, you see an imbalance that can only be explained by their need to stay close to a game they can’t resist.

For our Lord suffered. And I come to believe that he suffered, not to save us from suffering, but to teach us how to bear suffering. For he knew that there is no life without suffering.

I have never thought that a Christian would be free of suffering, umfundisi.

Pain and suffering, they are a secret. Kindness and love, they are a secret.

If a person holds ambitions, he suffers knowingly, but very slowly.

But if you consider how abnormal their behavior is, then you are led to the hypothesis that almost all men are suffering from ‘testosterone poisoning.’

That somehow distances us from actually taking part fully with the reality we do have, and that creates suffering.

We don’t really learn anything properly until there is a problem, until we are in pain, until something fails to go as we had hoped … We suffer, therefore we think.