Islamabad: Pakistan’s late human rights lawyer, Asma Jahangir will be posthumously awarded the UN Human Rights Prize 2018.
President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) María Fernanda
Espinosa Garcés posted tweeted: “Today I announced the 2018 winners of the @UN Human Rights Prize. I am proud to recognise the contributions of individuals & organisations that promote & protect human rights Rebeca Gyumi. Asma Jahangir Joênia Wapichana. Your work is an inspiration to us all.”
Ms Jahangir passed away on February 11 after suffering a stroke. She was 66 years old. She was known for taking up court cases of victimized and marginalised sections of society, as well as speaking against humanrights violations and her courageous stand against the military rule of General Ziaul Haq.
Ms Jahangir was a staunch activist of democracy, she also received several accolades for her work on human rights .
From 1998-2000 Jahangir served as the special rapporteur of the UN Commission on Extrajudicial, Summary and Arbitrary Executions and was the special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief of the UN Commission on Human Rights since 2004. Born in 1952 and raised in Lahore, Ms Jahangir studied at the Convent of Jesus and Mary before receiving her bachelors degree from Kinnaird and Law degree from the Punjab University in 1978. In 1987 she co-founded the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and became its Secretary General until 1993 when she was elevated as commission's chairperson.
Ms Jahangir was also co-chair of South Asians for Human Rights. She was appointed United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Arbitrary or summary executions and later as the United Nations Rapporteur of Freedom of religion or belief. She was put under house arrest and later imprisoned in 1983 for participating in the movement for the restoration of political and fundamental rights during the military regime. She was again put under house arrest in November 2007 after the imposition of emergency rule.
