Skip to main content
Latest news
Thumbnail

Pakistan’s Human Rights Champion Asma Jahangir Dies

Condolences poured in on Sunday afternoon after the sudden death of leading Pakistan human rights lawyer Asma Jahangir earlier in the day. 

People from around the world paid tribute to her efforts for democracy and commitment to rule of law. 

Jahangir, who was 66 years old, died in hospital in Lahore after suffering a cardiac arrest, Dawn News reported. 

In a condolence message, Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain expressed grief over Jahangir’s death, saying she rendered unprecedented services for the rule of law.

"Today the country has been deprived of a courageous and disciplined person, who was the voice of the voiceless," Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said adding that the deceased lawyer fought fearlessly for human rights. 

Jahangir is survived by a son and two daughters.

Known for her outspoken nature and unrelenting pursuit for human rights — as well as for remaining undaunted in the face of extreme pressure and opposition — Jahangir will be remembered as a champion for the disenfranchised and for her services towards building a democratic and more inclusive Pakistan, Dawn News reported. 

Jahangir received a Bachelors' degree from Kinnaird College and an LLB from Punjab University and was called to the Lahore High Court in 1980 and to the Supreme Court in 1982. She later went on to become the first woman to serve as president of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

She became a pro-democracy activist and was jailed in 1983 for participating in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy, which agitated against military dictator Ziaul Haq's regime.

She was also active in the 2007 Lawyers' Movement, for which she was put under house arrest, reported Dawn News.

She co-founded the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, and the Women's Action Forum. Jahangir also won numerous awards over the years including a UNESCO/Bilbao Prize for the Promotion of a Culture of Human Rights and an Officier de la Légion d'honneur by France.

Pakistan’s Human Rights Champion Asma Jahangir Dies

The well known human rights lawyer and activist died suddenly on Sunday after suffering a cardiac arrest, he family confirmed. 

Thumbnail

Condolences poured in on Sunday afternoon after the sudden death of leading Pakistan human rights lawyer Asma Jahangir earlier in the day. 

People from around the world paid tribute to her efforts for democracy and commitment to rule of law. 

Jahangir, who was 66 years old, died in hospital in Lahore after suffering a cardiac arrest, Dawn News reported. 

In a condolence message, Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain expressed grief over Jahangir’s death, saying she rendered unprecedented services for the rule of law.

"Today the country has been deprived of a courageous and disciplined person, who was the voice of the voiceless," Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said adding that the deceased lawyer fought fearlessly for human rights. 

Jahangir is survived by a son and two daughters.

Known for her outspoken nature and unrelenting pursuit for human rights — as well as for remaining undaunted in the face of extreme pressure and opposition — Jahangir will be remembered as a champion for the disenfranchised and for her services towards building a democratic and more inclusive Pakistan, Dawn News reported. 

Jahangir received a Bachelors' degree from Kinnaird College and an LLB from Punjab University and was called to the Lahore High Court in 1980 and to the Supreme Court in 1982. She later went on to become the first woman to serve as president of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

She became a pro-democracy activist and was jailed in 1983 for participating in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy, which agitated against military dictator Ziaul Haq's regime.

She was also active in the 2007 Lawyers' Movement, for which she was put under house arrest, reported Dawn News.

She co-founded the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, and the Women's Action Forum. Jahangir also won numerous awards over the years including a UNESCO/Bilbao Prize for the Promotion of a Culture of Human Rights and an Officier de la Légion d'honneur by France.

Share this post