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He passed away in Lahore at the age of 90.
Journalist and human rights advocate Ibn Abdur Rehman, known as I.A. Rehman, passed away in Lahore at the age of 90 on Monday morning.
Several journalists and other public figures took to Twitter to remember the human rights defender, who was also a regular columnist for Dawn.
Rehman started working at a young age, according to human rights activist and former chairperson of the HRCP Zohra Yusuf. She told Images that Rehman worked as editor of the Pakistan Times before joining the HRCP in the early 90s, first as director and later as secretary general.
We always looked to him for guidance and though he was not as active in the past few years, he was always available for help, she said. “He will be deeply missed. He was a rare kind of individual, not just because of his professional capabilities but as a human being.”
Paying tribute to one of Pakistan’s most renowned intellectuals, Senator Sherry Rehman called him an icon of integrity, “standing steadfast for every single fundamental right, every single democratic value in the worst of times”.
Salman Sufi, founder of the Salman Sufi Foundation, remembered him as “a voice of reason and intellect who never shied away from stating facts”.
Academic Adil Najam thanked him for his wisdom.
ANP leader Bushra Gohar said it was a very sad day for human rights activists in the country.
Senator Sehar Kamran called Rehman a “legendary human rights icon, a courageous voice, [and] a veteran journalist”.
Abid Qaiyum Suleri, a member of the Economic Advisory Council, said Pakistan has lost a legend.
Journalist Nasim Zehra said Rehman was “in the vanguard of Pakistan’s democratic struggle”.
Journalist Raza Rumi said Rehman was a mentor to countless rights activist, journalists and civil society leaders.
Activist Gulalai Ismail said she can’t imagine a Pakistan without him.
Journalist Ahmed Noorani said there are “rare examples where people have struggled for the rights of others, rights of underprivileged communities through out their lives. IA Rehman was one such example.”
Jehan Ara, president of P@SHA, said Rehman stood up for all those who couldn’t stand up for themselves. “We owe you a debt of gratitude,” she wrote.
Desk Report, Dawn
Source: https://images.dawn.com/news/1186977/pakistan-mourns-the-death-of-human-rights-defender-ia-rehman
Pakistan’s iconic human rights defender I.A. Rehman dies
Photo- In this July 16, 2018 file photo, I.A. Rehman, center, an official from the Human Rights Commission addresses a news conference, in Islamabad, Pakistan. Rehman, an iconic Pakistani human rights defender and former editor, has died in the eastern city of Lahore after a brief illness his family said Monday, April 12, 2021. Rahman was 90. (B.K. Bangash, File/Associated Press)
LAHORE, Pakistan — An iconic Pakistani human rights defender and journalist I.A. Rehman has died in the eastern city of Lahore after a brief illness, his family and friends said Monday. Rehman was 90. He spent his life defending human rights, opposing military dictators, fighting for the rule of law and democracy.
Rehman was also a strong voice for the country’s minorities, including Christians and Hindus.
He died of old age, high sugar, and blood pressure level, according to Harris Khalique, secretary-general at the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Rehman had been associated with the commission for a long time.
Rehman worked as an editor for various newspapers before joining the commission. He regularly contributed articles for Pakistani newspapers.
Rehman was born in 1930 in Haryana in neighboring India before Pakistan got independence from British colonial rule in 1947. He was the author of three books an advocate of peace between Pakistan and India, the two South Asian nuclear rivals who have fought three wars since 1947.
Rehman campaigned for amendments to the country’s controversial blasphemy laws, which domestic and international rights groups say have often been used to intimidate religious minorities and to settle personal scores.
The reports of his death prompted an outpouring of grief on social media, with Cabinet ministers to the country’s opposition paying tributes to Rehman for his contribution to journalism and human rights. Among the mourners was Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who tweeted that the country had lost “a true icon.”
A longtime friend, human rights defender Afrasiab Khattak, tweeted that Rehman’s death marked “the end of an era.”
The U.S. consulate in the eastern city of Lahore also extended condolences to Rehman’s family and friends, calling him “a journalist and defender of human rights.”
Rehman, the statement said, “will inspire countless future generations.”
Rehman was expected to be buried in the city of Lahore later Monday.
Associated Press
April 12, 2021 at 12:41 p.m. GMT+2
Renowned India-born Pak human rights defender I A Rehman dies
Magsaysay award winner I A Rehman died in Lahore on Monday at the age of 90
Eminent Pakistani human rights activist and Magsaysay award winner I A Rehman, a strong voice for the country’s minorities including Christians and Hindus and an advocate of peace between India and Pakistan, died in Lahore on Monday at the age of 90, according to his family.
Rehman, who was born in 1930 in Haryana in the pre-partitioned India, worked as an Editor for various newspapers in his journalistic career spanning more than 65 years and was a founding member of the Pakistan-India People’s Forum for Peace and Democracy, the Dawn newspaper reported.
According to his family, he was diabetic and suffered from high blood pressure and his condition deteriorated a couple of days ago. He is survived by three sons and two daughters.
Pakistan Peoples Party’s Senator and his friend Sherry Rehman said that the activist died due to COVID-19.
“Shocked and immeasurably saddened to hear of I.A Rehman’s passing from COVID. He was an icon of integrity, standing steadfast for every single fundamental right, every single democratic value in the worst of times. Pakistan will not be the same without him,” she said.
“He will be deeply missed. He was a rare kind of individual, not just because of his professional capabilities but as a human being,” the report quoted as saying human rights activist and former chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Zohra Yusuf.
Rehman worked as director of HRCP for two decades and was also the group’s secretary-general till December 2016, Geo news reported.
He was a strong supporter of the country’s minorities, including Christians and Hindus, and campaigned for amendments to Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws. The author of three books also opposed military dictators and fought for the rule of law and democracy.
A protege of the great Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Rehman became Chief Editor of the Pakistan Times newspaper in 1989. Before his death, he was writing columns for Dawn newspaper.
He has numerous awards to his credit, including Ramon Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding and Nuremberg International Human Rights Award.
Tributes poured in from all quarters as news of Rehman’s death spread.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, currently in Germany on an official visit, said the country has lost a “true icon”.
"Pakistan has lost a true icon today with the passing of I A Rehman. A staunch advocate and activist for Human Rights and an intellectual, I A Rehman sahib leaves behind a rich legacy that speaks of tolerance, inclusion, equality and dignity, he said in a tweet.
Journalist Nasim Zehra called the activist the “vanguard of Pakistan’s democratic struggle”.
Human rights activist Ali Dayan Hasan termed Rehman a “human rights warrior, and a visionary leader”.
The HRCP said Rehman was a "titan of human rights.
His conscience and compassion were unparalleled. Even after his retirement from the HRCP, he remained a constant source of wisdom and advice, and a mentor to many. We will carry his legacy forward as he would have wished us to," the HRCP said.
HRCP member and former parliamentarian Bushra Gohar said, I.A Rehman was indeed a visionary leader and a mentor. “His legacy will continue to guide us in resisting Pakistan’s worst ever martial law and human rights abuses,” Gohar said.
PTI, April 13, 2021 15:17 IST
Human rights activist IA Rehman passes away at 90
I A Rehman was a distinguished Lahore-based journalist and was involved with journalism for more than 65 years.
He was born on September 1930 in Haryana, British India which is now part of India.
As news of his death spread, social media users paid tribute to the human rights defender.
Lahore: Human rights activist and journalist Ibn Abdur Rehman, or commonly known as IA Rehman, has passed away at the age of 90 at his home in Lahore, his family confirmed Monday.
Rehman was a columnist for the daily Dawn and was actively involved with the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).
He was born on September 1930 in Haryana, British India which is now part of India.
Rehman was a distinguished Lahore-based journalist and was involved with journalism for more than 65 years.
During his career, he had served as the editor-in-chief of the Pakistan Times from 1988-1990. During the East Pakistan crisis, he was working as the managing editor of Urdu daily Azad.
He spent the Ziaul Haq period (1978–88) as the executive editor of weekly Viewpoint.
Apart from publishing hundreds of articles and papers, he had authored three books: Jinnah as a Parliamentarian (co-editor), Arts and Crafts of Pakistan, and Pakistan under Siege, a collection of his own columns.
Rehman worked as director of HRCP for two decades and was also the group’s secretary general till 31 December, 2016.
As news of his death spread, social media users paid tribute to the human rights defender.
Human rights activist Ali Dayan Hasan remembered Rehman as a “human rights warrior, and a visionary leader”.
Activist Salam Sufi recalled that Rehman was a “voice of reason and intellect”.
Activist Gulalai Ismail called the loss “unbearable”.
Journalist Nasim Zehra called the activist the “vanguard of Pakistan’s democratic struggle”.
PPP leader Sherry Rehman called the veteran journalist an “icon of integrity”.
Ummay Farwa
Monday Apr 12, 2021
Source: https://www.geo.tv/latest/344818-human-rights-activist-i-a-rehman-passes-away-at-90
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