The timing of this year’s annual celebration in Lahore (April 27–28) to honor the late Asma Jahangir for her contributions to advancing justice in Pakistan couldn’t be more appropriate for the nation’s future.
Pakistan is confronted with mounting challenges to fundamental rights on a number of fronts: from concerns about the state of democracy following the legislative elections in February to the ongoing inability to improve the standard of living for the increasingly marginalized population segment.
Pakistan’s poorest continue to be embroiled in legal disputes in addition to their everyday lives. For some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in Pakistan, the increasingly unaffordable expense of mounting a legal defense has forced them to confront the worst horror they can ever imagine.As many of Asma Jahangir’s friends and supporters prepare to honor her contributions once more, her rich legacy from a life devoted to defending Pakistan’s human rights is still unmatched. Thus, it should come as no surprise that Asma Jahangir’s influential impact endures more than six years after her abrupt departure.
