Islamabad (TDI): German Physician, Dr. Chris Schmotzer, receives Sitara-i-Quaid-i-Azam on the 85th National Day, in a ceremony held at Aiwan e Sadr, Islamabad.
Dr. Chris Schmotzer has dedicated over thirty seven years to treating and helping leprosy patients in Pakistan. She works at the Leprosy Hospital in Rawalpindi and came to Pakistan soon after completing her medical education.
Sitara-i-Quaid-i-Azam, one of the highest civil awards in Pakistan, was conferred on Dr. Schmotzer by President Asif Ali Zardari, for her remarkable services in Pakistan’s health sector, guided by her kind-heartedness.
At the Leprosy Hospital, she treats tuberculosis, eye and skin diseases in addition to leprosy. She is also keenly involved in rehabilitation measures for her patients.
Congratulations to Dr. Chris Schmotzer for being awarded the Sitara-i-Quaid-i-Azam. This honor acknowledges her unwavering commitment to advancing #MedicalWelfare in #Pakistan, particularly for the underserved communities. What a beautiful example of #PakGermanDosti 🇵🇰 🤝 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/WSlCjulnsU
— Alfred Grannas (@GermanyinPAK) March 24, 2025
Dr. Chris Schmotzer is a member of the German Protestant Sisterhood of Christ-Bearers and she has carried forward the mission and legacy of Dr. Ruth Pfau after her death in Karachi in 2017.
Dr. Pfau came to Pakistan way earlier and lived all her life in Karachi, treating leprosy patients, setting up leprosy centers across Pakistan; foremost being the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre in Karachi.
Dr. Schmotzer worked in close collaboration with Dr. Pfau and the Leprosy Centre in Karachi.
Read More: Pakistan pays tribute to late Dr Ruth Pfau
Her patients call her “German Sister” and this is the name she has come to be known as in Pakistan. Germany awarded her the Highest Civil Award in 2020, called the German Order of Merit. The then Ambassador of Germany in Pakistan, Bernhard Schlagheck, conferred the award.
During the ceremony at Aiwan e Sadr, sixty seven awards were conferred on Pakistani nationals as well as foreigners for remarkable achievement in different categories and sectors.
After Dr. Ruth Pfau, Dr. Chris Schmotzer is strengthening Germany’s philanthropic footprint in Pakistan. Her services are widely recognized in both Pakistan and Germany.
