Yesterday, a brave lady, a fearless attorney, a pure democrat and champion of human rights, Asma Jahangeer left us. It was an immense loss for our country.
Soon after the news of her death came, messages of condolence poured on social media platforms paying tribute to the beacon of human rights for her selfless struggle against the martial law atrocities in the country, standing firm with the democratic norms and speaking fearlessly against the human rights violation. She was from the coterie who stood for human rights in all of the three martial laws of the country. She also led the lawyers' movement for an independent judiciary. She became the first lady to preside over the Pakistan Bar Council. She was very vocal against Indian state atrocities in Kashmir and the plight of Muslim Indians because of the Hindu extremists present there. She also stood firmly for the people of Palestine.
Because of her vigorous stand, she always faced backlash from almost every section of the society at some time or the other. Yet she stood firmly for her principles. In 2009, a leading media group started a campaign against her. Still she presented their case in the Supreme Court in 2013. Mr. Zulfiqar Bhutto arrested her father during his civilian martial law, yet she always stood for his daughter Benazeer Bhutto. Mian Nawaz Shareef was once a sound critic of her. Still she supported him in his recent litigation. PTI was against her, yet she presented Rai Hassan's case in Supreme Court in a case pertaining to Article 62(1)(F).
Every religious sector labeled her liberal sarcastically, and she stood against 21st amendment in the constitution in which some religious outfits were targeted by stereotyping them as terrorist. No religious leader has the courage to stand against it and she was the only firm voice against this stereotyping. She was the first lady to petition against the forced disappearance of Afia Sadiqque by Pakistani intelligence and when she (Affia) was moved to the US, the religious sector took up this matter.
She was accused of blasphemy and treason often because of her progressive views of the plight of minorities in the country or standing against the powerful military leaders. She was against Musharraf during his rule and when he was charged with article 6(Treason charges), she labelled it as a political move.
Now after her death, some people started blaming her again by spitting venom against the lady. It reminds me of an Indian journalist, Gauri Lankesh, who was killed in Bangalore last year and some of the extremists celebrated her death. The very same mindset (Zaid Hamid & Orya Maqbool Jan) used it as a tool to expose the extremist mindset of India. Now he (Zaid Hamid) tweeted that it is a blessing in disguise that a lady has died labeling her a great asset for India forgetting that she is the only lady to visit occupied Kashmir during the recent moment and condemned the state atrocities of India there. She did not stop here. She always stood for this cause. She always took up this issue on international platforms and her voice and opinion had much more impact as compared to any other Pakistani. She also supported the Palestinian cause.
After her death a picture surfaced on the internet in which she was seen with the Indian extremist leader Bal Thackray. People used it as a propaganda while ignoring the fact that she was there to cover the mass massacre of Muslims in Indian state Gujarat and Bombay as a UN rapporteur, ruled by current Indian PM, Nareendra Modi and socially governed by Bal Thakry. And in her report she mentioned them as perpetrators.
She always criticized Modi's ideologies. Recently she named him a cunning fox. She was there when Burhan Wani was martyred and she recounts her memory like this in this video!!!
In fact it is really terrible to watch people celebrating the death of a fellow Pakistani. You can disagree with a person, question her ideology but not her life!!! May she have the highest ranks in heaven!!!
Soon after the news of her death came, messages of condolence poured on social media platforms paying tribute to the beacon of human rights for her selfless struggle against the martial law atrocities in the country, standing firm with the democratic norms and speaking fearlessly against the human rights violation. She was from the coterie who stood for human rights in all of the three martial laws of the country. She also led the lawyers' movement for an independent judiciary. She became the first lady to preside over the Pakistan Bar Council. She was very vocal against Indian state atrocities in Kashmir and the plight of Muslim Indians because of the Hindu extremists present there. She also stood firmly for the people of Palestine.
Because of her vigorous stand, she always faced backlash from almost every section of the society at some time or the other. Yet she stood firmly for her principles. In 2009, a leading media group started a campaign against her. Still she presented their case in the Supreme Court in 2013. Mr. Zulfiqar Bhutto arrested her father during his civilian martial law, yet she always stood for his daughter Benazeer Bhutto. Mian Nawaz Shareef was once a sound critic of her. Still she supported him in his recent litigation. PTI was against her, yet she presented Rai Hassan's case in Supreme Court in a case pertaining to Article 62(1)(F).
Every religious sector labeled her liberal sarcastically, and she stood against 21st amendment in the constitution in which some religious outfits were targeted by stereotyping them as terrorist. No religious leader has the courage to stand against it and she was the only firm voice against this stereotyping. She was the first lady to petition against the forced disappearance of Afia Sadiqque by Pakistani intelligence and when she (Affia) was moved to the US, the religious sector took up this matter.
She was accused of blasphemy and treason often because of her progressive views of the plight of minorities in the country or standing against the powerful military leaders. She was against Musharraf during his rule and when he was charged with article 6(Treason charges), she labelled it as a political move.
Now after her death, some people started blaming her again by spitting venom against the lady. It reminds me of an Indian journalist, Gauri Lankesh, who was killed in Bangalore last year and some of the extremists celebrated her death. The very same mindset (Zaid Hamid & Orya Maqbool Jan) used it as a tool to expose the extremist mindset of India. Now he (Zaid Hamid) tweeted that it is a blessing in disguise that a lady has died labeling her a great asset for India forgetting that she is the only lady to visit occupied Kashmir during the recent moment and condemned the state atrocities of India there. She did not stop here. She always stood for this cause. She always took up this issue on international platforms and her voice and opinion had much more impact as compared to any other Pakistani. She also supported the Palestinian cause.
After her death a picture surfaced on the internet in which she was seen with the Indian extremist leader Bal Thackray. People used it as a propaganda while ignoring the fact that she was there to cover the mass massacre of Muslims in Indian state Gujarat and Bombay as a UN rapporteur, ruled by current Indian PM, Nareendra Modi and socially governed by Bal Thakry. And in her report she mentioned them as perpetrators.
She always criticized Modi's ideologies. Recently she named him a cunning fox. She was there when Burhan Wani was martyred and she recounts her memory like this in this video!!!
In fact it is really terrible to watch people celebrating the death of a fellow Pakistani. You can disagree with a person, question her ideology but not her life!!! May she have the highest ranks in heaven!!!