Supreme Court’s Justice Qazi Faez Isa has said that the late human rights champion Asma Jahangir was a “trailblazer” who “achieved great things for Pakistan’s civil society and judiciary” while setting the highest of benchmarks in her field.
Justice Isa was addressing a large number of students as the guest of honour at the “Asma Jahangir Lecture 2022 — the role of the judiciary in upholding democratic rights and processes” at the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).
Dr Martin Lau and Asma Jahangir’s daughter Sulema Jahangir also spoke at the event.
The judge spoke at length about various aspects of Pakistani law and how Asma Jahangir changed the landscape of the country’s politics and judiciary through her relentless struggle for the rights of the voiceless and the marginalised and how she showed extreme courage and character.
“We must acknowledge women like Asma Jahangir. She was a great trouble maker and judges were terrified of her. I say this in appreciation of her,” said the SC judge who visited London specially to pay tribute to Asma.
“Jahangir set an example for all when she demonstrated that tyranny is not insurmountable and judiciary is a vehicle to secure fundamental rights of all.”
Justice Isa answered the questions of students and interacted with them at length.
‘She stood up for everyone’
Speaking at the occasion, Sulema Jahangir said her mother stood up for the human rights of everyone regardless of their affiliations or personalities.
She said Asma strongly believed in freedom of expression and would have condemned the strict penalties introduced to free speech through the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
Sulema said that today, Pakistan was passing through one of the darkest phases of its history because of censorship and persecution of political opponents in the name of accountability.
She commented that lawyers wish to see much-needed reforms in the courts.
