Condolence reference: Tributes showered on rights campaigner
Iqbal Haider remembered by friends, well wishers
ISLAMABAD:
Speakers at a condolence reference here on Sunday showered tributes on former Senator and rights campaigner Iqbal Haider for his struggle for the rights of the downtrodden and marginalized people and for the establishment of a peaceful and tolerant society.
“Iqbal Haider never compromised on his principles, values, ideology and his extremely bold vision for Pakistan,” said human rights activist Tahira Abdullah while speaking at the reference arranged by Sindh Graduates Association (SGA) at Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai Community Centre.
Haider fought for social justice, peace and harmony for which he faced arrests, received threats, Abdullah said.
Haider, who served as co-chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), died of lung failure in Karachi on November 11.
Not many people are aware that Haider also helped constitute the Federal Ministry for Human Rights, she said. He convinced Benazir Bhutto, who wanted to make him law minister during her second stint as prime minister, to set up a human rights ministry.
Lala Hassan Pattan, a coordinator at the Pakistan Press Foundation, remembered Haider as an “outspoken and unapologetic” critic of human rights violations with a “down-to-earth” personality.
Writer Naseer Memon said Haider was one of the few people who transcended labels and identities, and spoke against those forces of oppression who could not be criticized in public domain. “He did not care about the consequences while speaking out truth against those who believed in violation of others’ rights in one form or the other” he said.
People who attended the reference lauded Haider for his unequivocal support for democracy and human rights throughout his life. Haider joined the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in 1989 and held various portfolios. He also served as the attorney general of Pakistan. He preferred his principles over political affiliation and distanced himself from the PPP in 2005 and joined the HRCP when he thought that the party was not standing by its own principles.
Abdullah recounted a telephonic exchange she had with Haider after he was manhandled by the police during the movement for restoration of judiciary.
Instead of being angry and bitter at the police, Haider said he was grateful to the authorities. When she asked him to justify the perplexing response, Haider replied that by roughing him up, the police had fixed his frozen shoulder condition, which would otherwise have required expensive surgery.
“He was one of those few men who don’t care for their recognition in worldly terms but are always recognized by the poor and exploited” she said. She said Haider stood by the vision of secular and progressive Pakistan and struggled for that till his death. “Iqbal Haider was also the first person to highlight the cases of enforced disappearances on international forums including bringing a delegation of International Commission of Jurists to Pakistan and filed a petition in the Supreme Court,” she said.
Niaz Ahmed said Haider was one of those few people who did not attached any “ifs and buts” when it came to human rights and he believed rights were absolute which should be ensured without any conditionality.
Zubeda Birwani said she had seen Haider in his fight for rights of fishermen from India and Pakistan who faced arrests into the hands of security forces on both sides of the coastal areas. Munawar Hassan and Dr Noor Muhammad Larik also spoke on the occasion.
SGA Islamabad chapter president Yousuf Memon described the demise of Haider a big loss for the struggle of human rights.
Temple for Hindu community
The SGA at a meeting demanded establishment of worship places and community centres for Hindus, Sikhs and other religious minorities who are deprived of them in the federal capital.
Through a resolution, the meeting participants expressed dismay at the fact that there were no any temples for Hindu and Sikh communities in Islamabad. The already only temple in Saidpur Village was being used as a tourist spot instead of a worship place.
Rights activist Tahira Abdullah said that the Constitution respects the rights of minorities but the Federal Capital has no such facilities where the communities belonging to minority could offer their worship and religious rituals.
Zubeda Birwani said that the Saidpur temple should be restored as a place of worship and respected in accordance with the teachings of Islam that promotes tolerance and respect for other religions.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 19th, 2012.
Speakers at a condolence reference here on Sunday showered tributes on former Senator and rights campaigner Iqbal Haider for his struggle for the rights of the downtrodden and marginalized people and for the establishment of a peaceful and tolerant society.
“Iqbal Haider never compromised on his principles, values, ideology and his extremely bold vision for Pakistan,” said human rights activist Tahira Abdullah while speaking at the reference arranged by Sindh Graduates Association (SGA) at Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai Community Centre.
Haider fought for social justice, peace and harmony for which he faced arrests, received threats, Abdullah said.
Haider, who served as co-chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), died of lung failure in Karachi on November 11.
Not many people are aware that Haider also helped constitute the Federal Ministry for Human Rights, she said. He convinced Benazir Bhutto, who wanted to make him law minister during her second stint as prime minister, to set up a human rights ministry.
Lala Hassan Pattan, a coordinator at the Pakistan Press Foundation, remembered Haider as an “outspoken and unapologetic” critic of human rights violations with a “down-to-earth” personality.
Writer Naseer Memon said Haider was one of the few people who transcended labels and identities, and spoke against those forces of oppression who could not be criticized in public domain. “He did not care about the consequences while speaking out truth against those who believed in violation of others’ rights in one form or the other” he said.
People who attended the reference lauded Haider for his unequivocal support for democracy and human rights throughout his life. Haider joined the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in 1989 and held various portfolios. He also served as the attorney general of Pakistan. He preferred his principles over political affiliation and distanced himself from the PPP in 2005 and joined the HRCP when he thought that the party was not standing by its own principles.
Abdullah recounted a telephonic exchange she had with Haider after he was manhandled by the police during the movement for restoration of judiciary.
Instead of being angry and bitter at the police, Haider said he was grateful to the authorities. When she asked him to justify the perplexing response, Haider replied that by roughing him up, the police had fixed his frozen shoulder condition, which would otherwise have required expensive surgery.
“He was one of those few men who don’t care for their recognition in worldly terms but are always recognized by the poor and exploited” she said. She said Haider stood by the vision of secular and progressive Pakistan and struggled for that till his death. “Iqbal Haider was also the first person to highlight the cases of enforced disappearances on international forums including bringing a delegation of International Commission of Jurists to Pakistan and filed a petition in the Supreme Court,” she said.
Niaz Ahmed said Haider was one of those few people who did not attached any “ifs and buts” when it came to human rights and he believed rights were absolute which should be ensured without any conditionality.
Zubeda Birwani said she had seen Haider in his fight for rights of fishermen from India and Pakistan who faced arrests into the hands of security forces on both sides of the coastal areas. Munawar Hassan and Dr Noor Muhammad Larik also spoke on the occasion.
SGA Islamabad chapter president Yousuf Memon described the demise of Haider a big loss for the struggle of human rights.
Temple for Hindu community
The SGA at a meeting demanded establishment of worship places and community centres for Hindus, Sikhs and other religious minorities who are deprived of them in the federal capital.
Through a resolution, the meeting participants expressed dismay at the fact that there were no any temples for Hindu and Sikh communities in Islamabad. The already only temple in Saidpur Village was being used as a tourist spot instead of a worship place.
Rights activist Tahira Abdullah said that the Constitution respects the rights of minorities but the Federal Capital has no such facilities where the communities belonging to minority could offer their worship and religious rituals.
Zubeda Birwani said that the Saidpur temple should be restored as a place of worship and respected in accordance with the teachings of Islam that promotes tolerance and respect for other religions.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 19th, 2012.