I.A. Rehman, a veteran journalist and an outstanding Human Rights activist passed away on Monday after a brief illness.
Rehman started his career from the Pakistan Times, widely known for its enlightened outlook and progressive editorial policy from 1947- 59. Later on I.A. Rehman made his name as the Managing Editor of the Urdu daily Azad (1970-71) which was the only paper in West Pakistan that opposed military action in what was then East Pakistan. During Zia ul Haq’s dark era, Rehman joined the weekly magazine Viewpoint edited by Mazhar Ali Khan. The magazine supported democracy and a liberal and progressive agenda. For a brief period I.A.Rehman assumed the charge of Editor-in-Chief of Pakistan Times which ceased publication within years after he left. Rahman continued to contribute columns to different newspapers after saying goodbye to a career as a full time journalist. He died in harness with his last column “Both sides unaware of their role” appearing just four days before he breathed his last.
I.A. Rehman was an outstanding Human Rights activist. He joined the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan as its Director in 1990. Under his supervision the HRCP held numerous seminars and workshops on diverse issues like academic freedom, media freedom, public interest litigation, condition of jails in Pakistan, police reforms etc and published their reports along with the Commission’s recommendations. The HRCP also sent several fact finding missions to Balochistan, Sindh, KP and Gilgit-Baltistan to probe issues like forced disappearances and internal displacement in Balochistan, bonded Hari labour in Sindh, mayhem in Karachi, issues in Swat after military operation and problems seen during 2009 elections in Gilgit-Baltistan. The reports and recommendations published by the commission contributed to public awareness. The Commission’s Urdu monthly magazine “Juhd-e-Haq” and a regular yearly report on the state of HR in Pakistan provided well documented insights into challenges posed to HRs in Pakistan.
Besides numerous columns, Rehman has to his credit three books: Jinnah as Parliamentarian (co-editor), Arts and Crafts of Pakistan and Pakistan under Siege which is a collection of his columns.
IA Rehman had admirers all over South Asia. As recognition of his struggle as a HR activist he was awarded two international awards, the Nuremberg International Award for Peace and Human Rights in 2003 and Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding in 2004.
