‘Parveen Rehman’s killers must be brought to justice’

Civil society members discuss how Karachi has been taken over by the mafia .

KARACHI: Tired of the incessant targeted killings in Karachi, the most recent being the murder of Orange Pilot Project’ Parveen Rehman, architects, friends, students and members of the civil society organised a protest on Sunday outside the Mazar-e-Quaid.

More than 100 participants, on the call of the Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners, Institute of Architects Pakistan and Shehri, held a walk at Numaish Chowrangi while chanting slogans against the land mafia and terrorists. Similar protests were organised in Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar.

Condemning the lack of security, the protesters demanded law enforcement agencies to maintain strict law and order to protect citizens of the country.

“This protest is meant to create awareness among the people about all the good work Rehman did. It was not just a murder but a tragedy,” said Dr Noman Ahmed of the NED University. “As a person, she was extremely humble and down to earth. The poor and oppressed have lost one of the most sincere professionals who cared for them and contributed all her energy for their betterment.”

Journalist Ghazi Salahuddin said that Rehman represented hope in the city. “She was committed to her work and was an exemplary figure for the people. It is high time that the law enforcment agencies prove their competence.”



The participants refuted the notion that Rehman had personal enmities. “I knew her for the last 40 years - she had no enemy,” said Tahira Sadia, a teacher of the Karachi University. “Parveen was so simple, straightforward and dedicated to her work. She was full of life.”

Shehri’s Sameer Hamid was of the view that friends, colleagues and students of Rehman can only protest and keep the issue highlighted - but they can’t fight the killers.

“All the participants gathered at Numaish Chowrangi today have the same approach as Rehman did. We are all well aware of the situation in the city. The most we can do is keep condemning Rehman’s murder and try to create as much awareness as we can among the people.”

Unlike the other participants who knew Rehman personally or had worked with her, architect Tariq Rind had met her only for 10 minutes a few months before her murder. “I can’t explain her personality in words and I can’t even express my sorrow over her untimely departure,” he told The Express Tribune.

“The city has been burning for the last 20 years, yet we are still silent,” said one protestor. “Sadly, we don’t have the power to counter mafias or their supporting political parties,” a student argued. “We can’t afford enmity with them.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2013.