Leaders pay tributes to Asma Jahangir

ISLAMABAD: Activists and leaders from all segments of the society on Monday vowed to take forward the legacy of Asma Jahangir by raising their voice for weaker segments of the society. They were speaking at a reference organised by Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).

The reference was attended by a large number of people representing civil society, labour unions, media, lawyers’ community, academia, rights activists and political parties etc. They remembered Asma for always standing by her principles without fearing the consequences.

Eminent human rights activist I A Rehman said it was difficult to discover whole aspects of her personality as she was a multi-sided personality. “The key to her personality is that she was a political dynamo which gave light to countless lanterns be it child abuse, labour rights, women rights, rule of law, sectarian issues, minority rights etc.”

He said that Asma did not belong to any political party but all political parties respected her. “Not many people know that it was she who put the foundation of Charter of Democracy by bringing together all political parties on one page,” he disclosed.

He said that she was the most secular person he has seen in his life. “She had distinct ability to sense the political situation and consequences before anyone and her response was always prompt based on principles. She never compromised with any extra-democratic regime,” he said adding that she was able to take fearless stand before all oppressors because of her deep conviction. “This is her legacy which would survive with or without we being active or not.”

PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar said that Asma will never be replaced by anyone. He said that she was the conscious keeper of the nation as she set the standards for rights and wrong. “She knew the right way and was not afraid to lead, a rare quality that is missing in our current leadership.” Suggesting the way forward, he said human rights would continue to be violated as long as the de fecto state remains above accountability.

Human rights activist Tahira Abdullah recited one of Asma’s favorite poem ‘Hum ne Ja ke dekh liya’. She said that it will take a long time to come to terms with the reality that Asma Jahangir is no more among us.

Recalling the school days of Asma Jahangir, anchorperson Nasim Zehra said that Asma never feared authorities since childhood. Renowned poet and writer Kishwar Naheed recited her poem for Asma and gave credit of most of her famous poems to her. “It was Asma behind many poems I wrote about women,” she said.

Rights activist Romana Bashir encouraged all oppressed and weak to speak up for their rights. “There would be no Asma to represent the weak and oppressed but the lesson she taught would always remain with us. We need to wake up Asma within us to take forward her legacy,” she said.

Media unionist CR Shamsi talked about the incidents when Asma Jahangir took lead in the protection of freedom of expression in the most difficult circumstances. “She was not against anyone. She was only against oppression and deception,” said CR Shamsi.

Justice (R) Tariq Mehmood said that some relations are stronger than blood relations and his relationship with Asma was the same. He added that it was her nature to take stand with the weak irrespective of their religion, class or political affiliation. “She actually has made all of us orphans,” he said.

Awami National Party former Senator Afrasiab Khattak said that Asma was the leader of every movement in the country like democratic movement, lawyer’s movement, farmer’s movement or women right’s movements.

Lt. Gen (R)Talat Mehmood said that Asma was a real champion of democracy and a real fighter of human rights. “Strength of her conviction made her so courageous that she didn’t fear to speak truth,” he noted.

As a way forward, Asim Sajjad Akhter from Awami Workers Party proposed to struggle for a secular state where there is no discrimination on the basis of religion, cast, sect or class, fair distribution of wealth, gender equality, democracy and the right to expression along with a non-aligned foreign policy and sustainable development. The programme had two sessions. The starting session was to pay tributes to her and her struggles and the second one had a panel discussion for looking ahead to take Asma’s struggle forward.