Tributes paid to Rashid Rehman at launch of book on his struggle for rights

Speakers at the launch ceremony of a book documenting the lifelong struggle of iconic human rights lawyer Rashid Rehman have shown severe concerns over the rise of religious extremism and violence on the pretext of blasphemy, and stressed that rights groups and progressive circles should stand up to defend the vulnerable from any misuse of the blasphemy law.

Rehman, activist who was associated with the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, was shot dead at his office in Multan in 2014 for defending university lecturer Junaid Hafeez, who had been accused of blasphemy.

The book ‘Ishq Wo Kaaray Musalsal Hai’, written by academic and journalist Dr Tauseef Ahmed Khan, was launched at the HRCP Karachi office on Wednesday. A large number of civil society, rights and political activists attended the event.

The book comprises nine chapters and mainly contains important cases, incidents and services of Rehman mainly in the South Punjab region. As a coordinator of the Special Task Force at Multan, and, finally, as regional coordinator for the rights of human rights defenders, his jurisdiction covered the districts of Khanewal, Pakpattan, Mailsi, Vehari, Lodhran, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Rajanpur, DG Khan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan.

Despite facing pressure from religious parties and lawyers’ bodies, the book says, Rehman fought the case of Pakistan Peoples Party central leader Sherry Rahman at the high court level when she was accused by a Multan resident of committing blasphemy.

Speakers at the event paid tributes to Rehman for his struggle for the rights of labourers, peasants, religious minorities and other marginalised communities. Qazi Khizer, the HRCP vice-chairman, said Rehman had dedicated his life to helping the poor and the weak. “He had helped and fought for the rights of women, children, land­less peas­ants, bon­ded la­bour­ers work­ing in brick kilns and farms, victims of police excesses and, of course, Hafeez, who did not get a lawyer because of open death threats,” he said.

Ghazi Salahuddin, a veteran journalist and former HRCP vice-chairperson, said the book on Rehman was a guidebook for the human rights defenders working in various fields in the country.

“Society has been passing through an atmosphere of fear that has been causing self-censorship in journalism and discouraging people from gathering on causes. But in such a situation, the book is, in fact, part of the struggle of freedom from fear,” he said.

Dr Riaz Shaikh, dean of social sciences at Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, said that since Partition till 1987, there had been a few dozen cases under the blasphemy law. “But since 1987, over 1,700 have been accused under offenses related to religion, and because of it a large number of people have been killed by violent mobs and in incidents of targeted killing.”

He said the horrific Priyantha Kumara lynching incident in Sialkot of December 3 provided an opportunity for the state to correct its past mistakes.

Asad Iqbal Butt, HRCP co-chair, discussed the sorry state of research in the academic institutions in the country and said books, such as that of Khan on Rehman, would help the researchers, rights groups and policymakers in the field of human rights.

Dr Irfan Aziz, an academic, said a few thousand new books were being published here annually though most of them fell under the propaganda category, while books on serious subjects were few. “We need research-based books that could help in bringing a positive change to the society.

Mahnaz Rahman, Aurat Foundation’s resident director, senior journalist Sohail Sangi, trade union leader Usman Baloch and author Khan also spoke at the event.