Prominent Pakistani lawyer and activist Asma Jahangir passes away

ISLAMABAD: A prominent Pakistani lawyer, human rights and pro-democracy activist Asma Jahangir passed away in the eastern city of Lahore at the age of 66.Jahangir breathed her last in hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest.Known for her bravery and persistence, she had fought for nearly four decades in Pakistan’s human rights war, defending the rights of women, children, and religious minorities.Her fight to defend people accused of blasphemy, victims of honour killing and those who went missing from restive Balochistan province and other parts of the country had won her admirers and enemies in great numbers.Jahangir’s pro-democracy struggle as a lawyer and activist had made her a staunch critic of Pakistan’s military, intelligence agencies and armed groups. As a fearless towering figure, death threats, imprisonment and beatings always knocked at her door, when she raised her voice against the powerful military establishment and pushed for human rights cases. During her career, Jahangir and her family had been attacked, taken hostage and had their home broken into, but she never gave up her battle for justice.She was imprisoned in 1983 for agitating against military dictator General Ziaul Haq’s regime. In 2007, she was put under house arrest by the military regime of Pervez Musharraf, another general, for her active role in Lawyers Movement for the restoration of deposed judges.In 2013, leaked US intelligence documents had revealed that they were aware of a plot by parts of Pakistan’s security apparatus to kill Jahangir. Later, Jahangir had spoken at a press conference about a conspiracy to murder her and blamed elements of the security establishment.She was a co-founder of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and also a co-founder of the Women’s Action Forum, which was set up to oppose law that had reduced a woman’s testimony in court to half of man’s. She was also the first female president of Pakistan’s Supreme Court Bar Association and had won several awards including the Unesco/Bilbao prize for the promotion of a culture of human rights and the French Legion of Honour. She had served as UN special rapporteur on freedom of religion and human rights. In 2005, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.Jahangir's supporters and colleagues took to social media to offer their condolences following her sudden death.Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai called her a “saviour of democracy and human rights”.“Heartbroken that we lost Asma Jahangir - a saviour of democracy and human rights. I met her a week ago in Oxford. I cannot believe she is no more among us. The best tribute to her is to continue her fight for human rights and democracy,” Malala said in a tweet.Salman Akram Raja, a prominent Pakistani lawyer, tweeted that she was the bravest human being he ever knew and that the world was "less" without her.Her family sources have confirmed that her last rites will be performed in Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore at on .She is survived by two daughters and a son. Her daughter Muneezay Jahangir is a journalist and TV anchorperson.In addition to many publications, Jahangir has authored two books, “Divine Sanction? The Hudood Ordinance” and “Children of a Lesser God: Child Prisoners of Pakistan.