The renowned humanitarian, who was the founder and chairman of the Edhi Foundation, was diagnosed with kidney failure three years ago but was since unable to receive a transplant due to his poor health.
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Motivated by a spiritual quest for justice, over the years Mr Edhi and his team created maternity wards, morgues, orphanages, shelters and homes for the elderly – all aimed at helping those who can not help themselves.
The Guardian newspaper said Edhi was an “angel of mercy” for his social work that also won worldwide acclaim.
The activist was laid to rest on Saturday as thousands attended his funeral prayers in Edhi village as per his last wish.
The Pakistan prime minister also expressed grief over his death and prayed that God give him “the best place in paradise”. A 19 gun salute was given, Pakistan’s army spokesman, Lt. Gen. Asim Bajwa, tweeted. He said Edhi was the figure who had unflinching sympathy for humanity.
His son Faisal Edhi made the announcement of his father’s death. Just a few hours after his death, looking from above, Sattar Edhi would have abhorred this usurpation and the creation of this divide.
Edhi’s family said he died on Friday at a medical centre in Karachi where he had been having treatment for weeks.
Belonging to a family of memon traders who came to Karachi in 1947, Edhi who was born in Gujarat started his welfare mission in 1951 opening his first home for homeless and sick in the Kharadar area in Karachi.
Social media was also aflame, with celebrities, journalists and people across the world taking to twitter to express their deep respect for Ehdi, a source of love and inspiration for many.
At one moment, crowds broke through the military lines to help carry Edhi’s coffin, which was drapped with Pakistan’s green and white flag and covered with rose petals.
Frail and weak in his later years, he appointed his son Faisal as managing trustee in early 2016. Indeed, it was his exemplary humanitarian and philanthropic work that led him to being the second recipient of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Prize for the Advancement of Peace.
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But other Pakistanis lamented the way the government had conducted Edhi’s funeral.
