The gentle warrior

He was an embodiment of resistance against tyranny, a tower of strength for human rights activists, and a beacon of hope for those who want to make this country a truly democratic place. Perhaps never before in its history has Pakistan needed a voice of reason and rationality, such as the one that came for decades from Ibn Abdur Rehman, better known to us all as I A Rehman or Rehman Sahib, who passed away on Monday at the age of 90. In doing so, he has left the country’s progressives without the light that guided them through the frequent dark times they have faced – and continue to face. Through both written and spoken words, for many years I A Rehman outlined the contours of a democratic society. He was an activist for freedom of expression, and challenged all authoritarian and dictatorial regimes and tendencies in Pakistan. He was also a journalist, an editor par excellence and someone who generously imparted his expertise and wisdom to his peers and juniors.

Born in 1931 in Haryana, I A Rehman migrated to Pakistan after Partition. Being a progressive, he involved himself in the left-wing politics of the 1950s and 60s, and developed a close relationship with journalists, intellectuals, poets, and writers. His circle of friends, mentors and comrades included Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Hameed Akhtar, Mazhar Ali Khan, Minhaj Barna, Nisar Usmani, Saleem Asmi, Sibte Hasan, and many others. After nearly 20 years of active journalism, in 1970 Rehman Sahib and a couple of his friends launched their own newspaper Azad. During the 1971 military action in East Pakistan, I A Rehman was one of the very few voices that raised questions about the undemocratic path the regime was taking. Rehman Sahib’s was one of the most powerful voices against the dark dictatorship of Gen Ziaul Haq. In the 1980s, he played an instrumental role in the formation of an independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) in the country. Since then, he remained associated with the HRCP and held various positions there. From 1978 to 1988, he was also the executive editor of the leftist weekly Viewpoint of Mazhar Ali Khan.

After the restoration of a controlled democracy in Pakistan in 1988, the young PM Benazir Bhutto requested him to lead the daily Pakistan Times as its chief editor. He accepted the offer but then BB herself was removed in 1990, just after 20 months in office. Since then, I A Rehman had been writing for some of the leading national and international journals, magazines and newspapers. His incisive pen did not spare both civilian and military rulers when they transgressed their authority. He could not brook any violation of fundamental rights in the country and with the likes of Asma Jahangir, Hina Jilani, Hussain Naqi and Dr Mehdi Hasan stood fast in his struggle against the violators of human rights. Rehman Sahib’s last column was published in Dawn on April 8, 2021, just four days before he departed.

For those who value the fundamental rights accorded to citizens of a free country, I A Rehman became synonymous with the struggle to attain these rights. His was a quiet but firm resistance, which was usually complemented by the much-missed late Asma Jahangir. With Rehman Sahib’s death, it is not enough to say that we have lost an icon of resistance. We may just have lost one of the last great warriors that spoke truth to power, and stood by the people – no matter what their city, their gender or class. Most of all, he spoke for justice and rule of law in a country that has seen much too little of it. Rest in peace, gentle warrior; you stood for all that is good in Pakistan.