ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday condoled on the passing of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, paying a tribute to his anti-apartheid struggle.
Tutu, who died at the age of 90 on Sunday, was an iconic figure in South Africa’s struggle against white minority rule and was considered the nation’s conscience by both black and white people.
In 1984, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his long non-violent opposition to apartheid. Tutu was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1990s and was hospitalized several times in recent years for the treatment of his illness.
“My deepest condolences on the passing of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Laureate, close confidant of Nelson Mandela, an icon of anti-apartheid struggle & champion of human rights,” PM Khan said on Twitter.
“His critical role in liberation & national reconciliation are an inspiration for future generations.”
In this file photo taken on December 10, 1984, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu (L) poses with his Nobel Peace Prize along with Chairman of the Nobel committee Egil Aarvik, in Oslo, Norway. (AFP)
Tutu was revered because of his long struggle to abolish the apartheid system enforced by the white minority government against the black majority in South Africa from 1948 until 1991.
After the end of apartheid in the early 1990s and when Nelson Mandela became president of South Africa, Tutu was named chair of the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Having officially retired from public life on his 79th birthday, Tutu continued to speak out on a range of moral issues, including accusing the West of complicity in Palestinian suffering by remaining silent.
South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu delivers a speech during a 2009 conference for "One Young World," the world's largest gathering of young leaders. (AFP)
