Condolence gathering pays tribute to labour rights activist Sharafat Ali

Labour and human rights leaders, family members and colleagues on Saturday paid glowing tributes to Sharafat Ali, a committed labour rights activist and former joint director of the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler), who passed away on February 23 this year after a protracted illness. He was 73.

The memorial reference for Sharafat was held at the Arts Council of Pakistan. It was organised by Piler, its allies and family members. A large number of civil society activists attended the programme.

Speakers said that Sharafat had imprinted everlasting impression in their hearts due to his commanding expertise on human rights. It was said that the late labour leader was an embodiment of freedom of thought, justice and labour movements. Some of the speakers recalled their association with Sharafat calling him the epitome of sincerity and hard work.

Although the late rights activist avoided coming in limelight, he played a key role in running the affairs of Piler, and was instrumental in carrying out a number of research and projects of labour and other issues and bringing civil society and rights groups together on various issues of peace, democracy, and human rights, it was said.

Prominent economist Dr Kaiser Bengali, former Supreme Court Bar Association president Rasheed A Razvi, South Asia Partnership Pakistan Director Mohammad Tahseen, academic Dr Syed Jaffer Ahmed, Piler executive director and Sharafat’s elder brother Karamat Ali, Aurat Foundation’s Mahnaz Rahman, youth activist and Sharafat’s daughter Aabida Ali, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum’s Saeed Baloch, National Trade Union Federation’s Nasir Masnoor, Urban Resource Centre’s Zahid Farooq, Pakistan Peace Coalition's Adam Malik, People's Labour Bureau’s Habibuddin Junaidi, All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation Secretary General Shakil Yamin Kanga, Pakistan Steel Mills labour leader Mirza Maqsood, NOW Communities’ Farhat Parveen, Nuzhat Shirin, youth activist Naghma Sheikh, and campaigner for Baloch missing persons Sami Deen Baloch were prominent among the speakers.

Women rights activist Anis Haroon, Tehreek-e-Niswan’s Sheema Kermani, academic Shahram Azhar and others also attended the reference via video link.