ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s prominent lawyer and human rights activist, Asma Jahangir, passed away in Lahore after suffering a cardiac arrest on Sunday. She was 66 and is survived by a son and two daughters.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in message lauded her immense contributions toward democracy and the rule of law.
“Her demise as a great loss for the legal fraternity,” he said.
Dr. Mehdi Hassan, Chairman Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), told Arab News that Jahangir was among the founding members of the HRCP in 1984, and she always struggled for rule of law and equal rights of all citizens in the country.
“Her sudden death has left a void that cannot be filled,” Hassan said while trying to hold back his tears.
Asma Jahangir was the voice of marginalized people, “She was a champion of democracy and a staunch voice for civil rights of marginalized segments of the society,” he added.
Jahangir was born in Lahore on January 27, 1952. She complained of pain in her chest on Saturday night and was rushed to a hospital in Lahore where she breathed her last.
She emerged as a strong voice against ex-president General Ziaul Haq in the 1980s and was jailed for a brief period in 1983 for demanding the restoration of democracy in Pakistan.
Justice (r) Nasira Javed Iqbal remembered Asma Jahangir as “a torchbearer of women rights.”
“It is a great loss to women especially those who are marginalized in our society,” she said. “Asma Jahangir was a voice against patriarchy and oppression.”
She urged the lawyers’ fraternity and human rights activists to follow in Jahangir’s footsteps by raising their voice against the powerful and standing by the poor and deprived.
Another senior lawyer and human rights activist Sharafat Ali told Arab News that Jahangir had struggled to build strong institutions, genuine democracy and civil rights throughout her life. “The best way to pay tribute to her is to follow the path that she tread,” he said.
Ali said the deceased fought against military dictators and stood against injustices in the society, besides playing an active role for independent and transparent judicial system in the country.
Asma Jahangir was one of the leading members of the famous lawyers’ movement in Pakistan that began in March 2007 for the restoration of judiciary and was also put under house arrest by the General (r) Pervez Musharraf.
Ali Ahmad Kurd, a senior lawyer and one of the renowned members of the lawyers’ movement, remembered her as a “compassionate, intelligent and brave lawyer and human rights activist.”
“Her contribution for the rule of law, democracy and women’s rights in Pakistan will always be remembered,” he said. “Nobody can fill the void that her death has created.”
Senior lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan said that Jahangir was a towering figure and nobody could match her services in the fields of human rights, law and civil liberties. “She was one of the best lawyers and human rights activists the country has produced since its independence in 1947,” he said.
Her lifelong work for the causes like democracy, rule of law and civil rights nominated her to win numerous national and international awards including a UNESCO/Bilbao Prize for the Promotion of a Culture of Human Rights and an Officier de la Légion d’honneur by France.
She also received the 2014 Right Livelihood Award and the 2010 Freedom Award.
Condolences and tributes poured in on social media from across the globe, as the deceased was a well-known figure across the world for her meaningful contributions to improve the lives of the downtrodden.
High officials of the government including the president, the prime minister, members of the civil society and senior politicians from all political parties also expressed their dismay over the sudden demise of Jahangir and prayed for her soul.
“She was an outspoken and courageous lady, and had risen to prominence by sheer dint of hard work, diligence and commitment to the legal profession,” Supreme Court judges said in a statement.