Rich tribute paid to Asma Jahangir, the voice of underprivileged communities

Asma Jahangir was not only a prominent lawyer, iconic social activist and human rights defender, but she was also the voice of the underprivileged communities, including women, labourers and minorities.

Speakers made this observation on Friday while speaking at the Clifton campus of the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, which organised a memorial meeting to pay rich tribute to Jahangir, who died in Lahore a week ago at the age of 66.

The meeting was attended by students, members of civil society, trade unionists and academician. The keynote speakers included Mehnaz Rehman of Aurat Foundation, Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research executive director Karamat Ali, Karachi University adjunct Prof Dr Tauseef Ahmed Khan, National Commission on the Status of Women chairperson Anis Haroon, senior journalist Mazhar Abbas, senior journalist and human rights defender Ghazi Salahuddin.

They said progressive and left-wingers felt Jahangir’s absence, but conservatives, religious quarters and rightists would also feel regret for her at every stage in future.

They said Jahangir had also raised her voice for those who were considered her closed opponents when she was alive. They remarked that the message and struggle of very few people became much stronger after they died and Jahangir was one of them.

The speakers further stated that when they talked about women rights, they could not forget Jahangir’s role because she became the voice of every woman regardless of colour, creed, profession, gender and religion.

They said Jahangir was a strong voice for missing persons as well, and she fought many cases for minorities and other suppressed communities in the apex court, for which even men had no courage to appear.

There was no one in the country to replace Jahangir, as she was the greatest human rights defender in the world and believed in harmony, impartiality and justice for everyone, they said.

The speakers said that it was the misfortune of the Pakistani nation that it had lost such a great hero like Jahangir, and there was no hope that such a brave woman would come forward to raise her voice against social injustices in society.