KP lawyers mourn death of Asma Jahangir

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lawyer community observed Monday as a day of mourning across the province and stayed away from courts proceedings to express grief at the death of the iconic lawyer and a human rights champion Asma Jahangir who passed away the previous day.

The lawyers observed mourning on the call of the KP Bar Council and Peshawar Bar Association. Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court (PHC), Justice Yahya Afridi, also visited the PHC Barroom and expressed grief over the death of Asma Jehangir with the lawyers. He offered fateha for the departed soul.

A condolence reference was also held at the PHC Barroom under the presidentship of Arbab Usman, president of the PHC Bar Association. The PHCBA, President Arbab Usman, General Secretary Rahmanullah, senior lawyers Qazi Muhammad Anwar and former general secretary Muhammad Ayaz Khan addressed the condolence reference.

The speakers paid rich tributes to Asma Jehangir by highlighting and praising her services for the rule of law and supremacy of Constitution, legal profession and human rights in the country. They said she had rendered unprecedented services for the rule of law. The lawyers' leaders said the country had lost a courageous person as she was the voice of the voiceless. They added that she fought fearlessly for human rights in the country.

The speakers said she was a brave woman and her services, especially for human rights and women rights, would always be remembered. Meanwhile, Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan and General Secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain expressed deep grief and sorrow over the sad demise of Asma Jahangir. In a condolence massage issued here, they prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss with courage and fortitude.

A social welfare organisation, Vision, also paid rich tributes to noted human rights activist who passed away in Lahore the previous day. In a statement issued here, Vision Chairman, Dr Liaquat Ali, said she was an epoch-making figure and the void created due to her death would be hard to fill in. The organisation chief said Asma Jahangir throughout her life struggled for the rights of the poor, voiceless and underprivileged sections of the society.

"She loved masses, peace, democracy, the rule of law and struggled for the rights of the people without any consideration for caste, creed and colour," said Dr Liaquat Ali of the distinguished rights activist who died at the age of 66 and whose funeral will be offered today. He said late Asma Jahangir would always be remembered for the struggle she waged for democracy and the rule of law.