KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) - Mourners have attended a state funeral of Ruth Pfau, a German physician and nun who earned international acclaim by devoting her life to the eradication of leprosy in Pakistan.

Known as "Pakistan's Mother Teresa," she died on Aug. 10 at age 87 in Karachi, the capital of southern Sindh province.

State-run Pakistan television in live broadcast showed last rituals of Pfau, which were held at a church in Karachi.

People light candles to pay tribute to Ruth Pfau, a German doctor and nun who devoted her life to the eradication of leprosy in Pakistan, in Karachi, Pakistan, Friday, Aug. 18, 2017. Pakistan's prime minister has announced a state funeral for Ruth Pfau. The funeral will take place on Saturday. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)

Pakistani politicians, military officials, members of civil society and hundreds of supporters of Pfau attended the service.

Leprosy remained a problem in Pakistan from the 1950s until about 1996, and Pfau played a key role in efforts to bring the disease under control.

Pakistani workers make arrangements ahead of a funeral of Ruth Pfau, a German doctor and nun who devoted her life to the eradication of leprosy in Pakistan, at the Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Karachi, Pakistan, Friday, Aug. 18, 2017. Pakistan's prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has announced a state funeral for Ruth Pfau. (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)

People light candles to pay tribute to Ruth Pfau, a German doctor and nun who devoted her life to the eradication of leprosy in Pakistan, in Karachi, Pakistan, Friday, Aug. 18, 2017. Pakistan's prime minister has announced a state funeral for Ruth Pfau. The funeral will take place on Saturday. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)

People hold pictures of Ruth Pfau, a German doctor and nun who devoted her life to the eradication of leprosy in Pakistan, in Karachi, Pakistan, Friday, Aug. 18, 2017. Pakistan's prime minister has announced a state funeral for Ruth Pfau. The funeral will take place on Saturday. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan) </s> KARACHI: Last rites of Pakistan’s ‘Mother Teresa’ Dr Ruth Pfau will be held today in Karachi with full state honours.

Pakistan government has announced to accord a state funeral to the country’s leprosy fighter Dr Ruth Pfau, who passed away last week at a local hospital in Karachi.

German origin Dr Ruth Pfau devoted her life to treat the patients of Leprosy in Pakistan.

The body of Dr Pfau will be brought to St Patrick Church where her rituals be performed then it will be buried in the Gora graveyard. </s> Mourners have attended a state funeral of Ruth Pfau, a German physician and nun who earned international acclaim by devoting her life to the eradication of leprosy in Pakistan.

Known as "Pakistan's Mother Teresa," she died on Aug. 10 at age 87 in Karachi, the capital of southern Sindh province.

State-run Pakistan television in live broadcast showed last rituals of Pfau, which were held at a church in Karachi.

Pakistani politicians, military officials, members of civil society and hundreds of supporters of Pfau attended the service.

Leprosy remained a problem in Pakistan from the 1950s until about 1996, and Pfau played a key role in efforts to bring the disease under control. </s> Women stand next to large portrait of Ruth Pfau, a German physician and nun, at the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Center where army troops prepare to transport Pfau’s body for a funeral in Karachi, Pakistan, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017. Mourners have attended a state funeral of Ruth Pfau, a German physician and nun who earned international acclaim by devoting her life to the eradication of leprosy in Pakistan. Known as “Pakistan’s Mother Teresa,” she died on Aug. 10 at age 87 in Karachi. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan) Women stand next to large portrait of Ruth Pfau, a German physician and nun, at the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Center where army troops prepare to transport Pfau’s body for a funeral in Karachi, Pakistan, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017. Mourners have attended a state funeral of Ruth Pfau, a German physician and nun who earned international acclaim by devoting her life to the eradication of leprosy in Pakistan. Known as “Pakistan’s Mother Teresa,” she died on Aug. 10 at age 87 in Karachi. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)

Mourners on Saturday attended a state funeral for Ruth Pfau, a German physician and nun who earned international acclaim as “Pakistan’s Mother Theresa” by devoting her life to the eradication of leprosy in the Muslim-majority nation.

Pfau died on Aug. 10 at age 87 in the southern port city of Karachi. State-run television broadcast live footage of her casket being carried by a military guard at the city’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Army troops and others load the casket wrapped in Pakistani flag, of Ruth Pfau, a German physician and nun, into a vehicle to transport it for her funeral in Karachi, Pakistan, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017. Mourners have attended a state funeral of Pfau, a German physician and nun who earned international acclaim by devoting her life to the eradication of leprosy in Pakistan. Known as “Pakistan’s Mother Teresa,” she died on Aug. 10 at age 87 in Karachi. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan) Army troops and others load the casket wrapped in Pakistani flag, of Ruth Pfau, a German physician and nun, into a vehicle to transport it for her funeral in Karachi, Pakistan, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017. Mourners have attended a state funeral of Pfau, a German physician and nun who earned international acclaim by devoting her life to the eradication of leprosy in Pakistan. Known as “Pakistan’s Mother Teresa,” she died on Aug. 10 at age 87 in Karachi. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)

Hundreds of people attended the service at the cathedral, including members of civil society and diplomats. She was later buried in a nearby cemetery, in a funeral attended by President Mamnoon Hussain, army chief Gen. Qamar Javed, senior government officials and Muslim clerics.

Martha Fernando, who worked with Pfau at her Marie Adelaide Leprosy Center, said the German physician’s death was a great loss to humanity. “There is no one like her and there won’t be any replacement to her. We pray to God to send people like her again to this world so that they could continue serving people,” she said.

Colleagues next to casket of Ruth Pfau, a German physician and nun, at the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Center ahead of her funeral in Karachi, Pakistan, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017. Mourners have attended a state funeral of Pfau, a German physician and nun who earned international acclaim by devoting her life to the eradication of leprosy in Pakistan. Known as “Pakistan’s Mother Teresa,” she died on Aug. 10 at age 87 in Karachi. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan) Colleagues next to casket of Ruth Pfau, a German physician and nun, at the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Center ahead of her funeral in Karachi, Pakistan, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017. Mourners have attended a state funeral of Pfau, a German physician and nun who earned international acclaim by devoting her life to the eradication of leprosy in Pakistan. Known as “Pakistan’s Mother Teresa,” she died on Aug. 10 at age 87 in Karachi. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)

Pakistan suffered high rates of leprosy up until the mid-1990s. Pfau played a key role in efforts to bring the disease under control.

For all the latest Pakistan News, download Indian Express App </s> German-born nun Ruth Pfau, known as 'Pakistan's Mother Teresa', was given a state funeral (Reuters) </s> Ruth Pfau, a German nun who devoted her life to combatting leprosy in Pakistan, is buried with full state honors, in an unprecedented service for a foreign Christian in the Muslim-majority country

KARACHI, Pakistan – Ruth Pfau, a German nun who devoted her life to combatting leprosy in Pakistan, was buried with full state honors on Saturday, August 19, in an unprecedented service for a foreign Christian in the Muslim-majority country.

Pfau, who died at the age of 87 on August 10 was known locally as Pakistan's Mother Teresa. She came to the southern port city of Karachi in 1960 and spent half a century taking care of some of the country's sickest and poorest people.

She was the founder of Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre in Karachi, where she was being cared for at the time of her death after a short illness.

Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain attended the state funeral service at St Patrick's Cathedral in the city, where hundreds of people gathered to pay their respects.

The casket, draped in the national flag, was carried by army personnel and Marie Adelaide staff and given a 19-gun salute.

"The entire Pakistani nation pays homage to Dr Pfau's extraordinary work. She will always be fondly remembered. We have lost a national hero," Pakistan's foreign office spokesman Nafees Zakaria Saturday said in a statement.

Working with the government, Pfau expanded leprosy treatment centers in more than 150 cities and towns across Pakistan, training doctors, treating thousands of victims and helping establish a national program to bring the disease under control.

She was honored by the state with the country's two highest civilian awards, the Hilal-e-Imtiaz and the Hilal-e-Pakistan.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi earlier expressed his sadness at her death, saying "she may have been born in Germany, but her heart was always in Pakistan".

It was after the horrors of World War II in her native Germany that Pfau decided to dedicate her life to serving humanity, becoming a doctor and joining the Daughters of the Heart of Mary order, founded during the French Revolution.

Not required to take the veil or live in seclusion, she ended up in Pakistan by chance. En route to work in India, visa complications forced her to break the journey in Karachi, where she visited a lepers' colony.

Pfau was also praised for her work in helping victims of devastating flooding in 2010, which left millions of people homeless across swathes of the country. – Rappler.com </s> People light candles in memory of German-born nun Dr. Ruth Pfau, in Karachi, Pakistan August 19, 2017. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro

KARACHI (Reuters) - Pakistani soldiers on Saturday carried the flag-draped coffin of German-born Catholic nun Ruth Pfau to a state funeral where she was honored after devoting her life to eradicating leprosy in the country.

Widely known as Pakistan’s Mother Teresa, Pfau died last week in the southern city of Karachi at age 87. She is to be buried in her adopted homeland.

Mourners paid their last respects as Pfau’s coffin was carried to the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre that she founded before being taken on to St. Patrick’s Cathedral for the official service.

Pfau had been living in Pakistan since 1960, and her leprosy center in Karachi was Pakistan’s first hospital dedicated to treating the disease. She later opened treatment centers across the country.

“It is a big loss to this hospital and to humanity. It is very hard to find a person like her in today’s era,” said Yasmeen Morris, a staff member at the center.

“She led a very simple life and she loved humanity.”

In 1996, the World Health Organisation declared that leprosy had been controlled in Pakistan, which led Pfau to the more challenging task of eliminating the disease.

Last year, the number of patients under treatment for leprosy fell to 531 from over 19,000 in the 1980s. </s> related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

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Pakistani soldiers on Saturday carried the flag-draped coffin of German-born Catholic nun Ruth Pfau to a state funeral where she was honoured after devoting her life to eradicating leprosy in the country.

KARACHI: Pakistani soldiers on Saturday carried the flag-draped coffin of German-born Catholic nun Ruth Pfau to a state funeral where she was honoured after devoting her life to eradicating leprosy in the country.

Widely known as Pakistan's Mother Teresa, Pfau died last week in the southern city of Karachi at age 87. She is to be buried in her adopted homeland.

Mourners paid their last respects as Pfau's coffin was carried to the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre that she founded before being taken on to St. Patrick's Cathedral for the official service.

Pfau had been living in Pakistan since 1960, and her leprosy centre in Karachi was Pakistan's first hospital dedicated to treating the disease. She later opened treatment centres across the country.

"It is a big loss to this hospital and to humanity. It is very hard to find a person like her in today's era," said Yasmeen Morris, a staff member at the centre.

"She led a very simple life and she loved humanity."

In 1996, the World Health Organisation declared that leprosy had been controlled in Pakistan, which led Pfau to the more challenging task of eliminating the disease.

Last year, the number of patients under treatment for leprosy fell to 531 from over 19,000 in the 1980s. </s> Sister Ruth Pfau, who has died at the age of 87, was a Catholic nun who, after a childhood spent in Nazi Germany, became known as "the Mother Teresa of Pakistan" for her work in combating the spread of leprosy.
Pakistan holds a state funeral for German-born Catholic nun Ruth Pfau, known as "Pakistan's Mother Teresa," who devoted her life to eradicating leprosy in the South Asian country.