Condolence reference: Chakar Khan remembered by friends, family

Rahman, a renowned human rights activist and development professional, passed away in Islamabad on October 29.


Our Correspondent November 05, 2012

ISLAMABAD:


Throughout his life, Asad Rahman fought tirelessly for the rights of the oppressed with his actions and his words.


Rahman, a renowned human rights activist and development professional, passed away in Islamabad on October 29. He had been hospitalised since mid-October after suffering a heart attack.

At a condolence reference held in Islamabad on Sunday, Rahman’s friends, colleagues and family members paid rich tributes to his lifelong devotion to the cause of uplifting marginalised and deprived segments of society.

The reference was organised at Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai Community Centre by the Islamabad branch of the Sindh Graduates Association (SGA).

Rahman, who headed the Sungi Development Foundation at the time of his death, actively took part in the guerrilla insurgency in Balochistan during the 1970s.

Human rights activist Tahira Abdullah said Rahman always spoke up for the people of Balochistan and other marginalised groups.

“From living in the mountains as a guerrilla fighting for the rights of the Baloch till his last days as head of Sungi, he never compromised on the principles in which he believed from the core of his heart,” Abdullah said.

Rahman went to London to study architecture in 1969 and became a part of the London Group, a study circle formed by some young Pakistani Marxists studying in British universities.

Later, he and four other members of the group quit their studies and returned to Pakistan to fight alongside the Baloch nationalists. He was given the name Chakar Khan during his time as a guerrilla, a name he is still fondly remembered by.

From 1978 onwards, Rahman began working as a human rights activist.

Rahman was a genuine believer in human rights and always tried to ensure that the voices of the oppressed were heard, said Fayyaz Baqir, director of the Akhtar Hameed Khan Resource Centre.

Yousaf Memon, president of the SGA Islamabad branch, said Rahman was a man of principles who never compromised on what he believed in and continued his support for the people of Balochistan in one way or another till the very end.

Rahman’s wife and son addressed the reference via telephone. They said Rahman’s loss was irreparable, adding that Rahman not only belonged to his family, but also to the marginalised and deprived people of Pakistan.

Haider Bhurgri, Sajid Qaisrani, Muhammad Taj, Omar Javed, Rasheed Sarki, Niaz Nadeem and others also spoke at the reference.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5th, 2012.

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