Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) marked the first death anniversary of Asma Jahangir with renewed pledge to continue her mission. For the HRCP which she co-founded in 1987, her demise was a loss but that has translated into a renewed determination to carry her legacy forward.
"Today, more than ever, the human rights movement in Pakistan needs a collective conscience. Undoubtedly, were Asma Jahangir still with us, she would have continued to speak up against curbs on freedom of assembly, freedom of movement and freedom of expression," HRCP said in a statement Sunday.
It said that Asma would have demanded accountability for extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. It said she would have defended the vulnerable and marginalised - women, children, peasants and workers, bonded labour, religious and ethnic minorities, and the transgender community.
The HRCP said she would have criticised any electoral mismanagement and judicial hyper-activism, but defended the need for democracy and an independent judiciary. And in so doing, she would be speaking for all those who believe in the inalienability of fundamental rights and freedoms.
"Over the last year, HRCP has carried this work forward despite the vacuum left by Ms Jahangir. Her imprint remains on the institution she co-founded and the numerous human rights workers she trained. HRCP's governing body/staff across the country is committed to continuing Asma Jahangir's work and will always remember her spirit and steel. As she herself once quipped human rights is not a job, it is a way of life. For HRCP, this still holds true."