Speakers pay tributes to Asma

Speakers at a memorial reference on Monday expressed glowing tributes to late Asma Jahangir, a human rights activist and noted lawyer who passed away after a cardiac arrest in Lahore on February 11 last. The condolence reference was organized by Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) which was attended by parliamentarians, human rights activities and members of civil society, lawyers, particularly IA Rehman, Afrasiab Khattak, Marvi Sirmed, Nasim Zehra, Talat Masood, Nasreen Azhar, Kamran Arif, Kishwar Naheed and Harris Khalique.
Speaking on the occasion, Senator Farhatullah Babar applauded the efforts of Asma as a lawyer and human rights activist. He said that Asma had set standards to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong. He said that human rights are threatened by succumbing to rules by the mob, like the recent Faizabad sit-in, and a state within state. Missing persons and internment centers in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), militancy and peace within the region and other issues are mere symptoms. The malaise is deeper and lies in the contradictions between the de facto and de jure, he added.
During Faizabad sit-in, the state and society surrendered and the one brief page of surrender of de jure was underwritten by the de facto arm of the state, he pointed out.
Human rights will continue to be violated as long as there are extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, mob rule and as long as the de facto remains unaccountable, he said. Such a state is, by definition, a tyrannical state and has no respect for human rights and must be reconstructed. He said that there is an illusion of freedom of expression as politicians are made to fight in TV talk shows. Actually the freedom of expression is under threat from the ideology brigade in the name of faith as well as from the security brigade in the name of 'national security.'
Paying tributes to Asma, he said that she was a conscious keeper of the nation and had a barometer of the right and the wrong and the oppressed and the oppressor. She knew the way and was not afraid to lead, he said, adding that in due course of time she will succeed in different roles she played. Paying tributes to late Asma, Senator Afrasiab Khattak said she dedicated her whole life to defend the downtrodden of the society and was a champion of human rights in the country. Through her efforts she got a worldwide recognition for her dedication towards humanity irrespective of religion, creed and color, he added.
Lieutenant General Talat Masood (retd) said that not only the progressive and leftists will remember Asma's contribution to human rights, but also conservatives, religious quarters and rightists will feel her absence at every stage in future. He said that she had even raised her voice for those who were considered her closed opponents in her life.
Harris Khalique said that Asma was known for speaking against human rights violations and her courageous stand against dictatorships will always be remembered.