Friends, colleagues remember Asma Jahangir in Lahore

LAHORE: The South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) is holding a memorial reference for Asma Jahangir at Avari Hotel.

Jahangir, a noted human rights defender and prominent lawyer, died from cardiac arrest in Lahore on February 11.

A number of civil society representatives, politicians and activists, including members of SAFMA, senior journalist IA Rehman, former foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri, and classical dancer Sheema Kermani are at the memorial today. 

Imtiaz Alam, who heads SAFMA, shared the invitation of the memorial reference on Twitter a few days ago. 

Jahangir's funeral prayers were offered at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Tuesday after which she was buried at her family's farmhouse on Bedian Road, as per her wishes.

Maulana Haider Farooq Maududi led the funeral prayers, which were attended by scores of men, women and children.

Jahangir, who co-founded the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and came to be known as a fearless voice of the marginalised sections of the society, passed away on Sunday after suffering a cardiac arrest. She was 66.

She was known for speaking against human rights violations and her courageous stand against dictatorships. 

She was also a vocal opponent of judicial overreach and would often confront the superior judiciary when it would extend its jurisdiction in her opinion.