New Delhi, Delhi, India

Renowned lawyer and human rights activist Asma Jahangir passed away on Sunday in Lahore due to a cardiac arrest. She was 66. 

Advertisment

Jahangir was taken to a private hospital on Ferozepur Road after suffering a cardiac arrest where she passed away. 

She was the head of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and the Supreme Court Bar Association.

She had gained recognition for her outspoken nature and taking up cases of victimised and marginalised sections of society, as well as speaking against human rights violations and her courageous stand against the military rule of General Ziaul Haq. 

Advertisment

Jahangir was born in 1952 and became a democracy activist in 1983, she was imprisoned for participating in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy against the military regime of General Ziaul Haq.

She was also put under house arrest in 2007 for her participation in the  Lawyers' Movement. She co-founded the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and the Women's Action Forum.

Jahangir also remained the special rapporteur of the UN Commission on Extrajudicial, Summary and Arbitrary Executions from 1998-2004 and was the special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief of the UN Commission on Human Rights since 2004.

Advertisment

She received several awards, including a Hilal-i-Imtiaz in 2010 and a Sitara-i-Imtiaz. She was also awarded a UNESCO/Bilbao Prize for the Promotion of a Culture of Human Rights and an Officier de la Légion d'honneur by France as well as received the 2014 Right Livelihood Award and the 2010 Freedom Award.

In the last post on her Twitter account, Jahangir cautioned the Supreme Court from selectively using the contempt of court law.