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Monday, November 12, 2012
PPC, PILER condole demise of Syed Iqbal Haider; term it great loss to human rights movement
KARACHI: Secretary General of Pakistan Peace Coalition (PPC) B. M. Kutty and Executive Director of Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) Karamat Ali have expressed their grief and sorrow over sad demise of the noted human rights activist and senior lawyer of Supreme Court of Pakistan Syed Iqbal Haider, who passed away early Sunday morning.
In a joint statement here they said it is a great loss to the nation and the human rights movements in Pakistan and in the region as he was an active campaigner for peace in South Asia especially with India. He fought cases of Indian fishermen in Supreme Court of Pakistan, resulting in release of hundreds of fishermen from Pakistani jails as well as release of hundreds of Pakistani fishermen from Indian jails. He remained the Co-Chairperson and Secretary General of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and was a vocal exponent of rights of Balochistan people and he fought many human rights cases in the higher courts. They recalled Iqbal Haider worked vigorously for victims of honour killings, karo-kari, bonded labour, missing persons. He fought against the military dictatorship of General Ziaul Haq and played active part in Movement for Restoration of Democracy (MRD) as its founding member and was put in behind the bars by Martial law administration during 1980s, the statement added. Late Haider was made federal minister for law, justice, parliamentary affairs and human rights during the Benazir Bhutto government and remained a senator. He also served as attorney general of Pakistan. They eulogised his services for the peace with India and said his death has created a vacuum, which is difficult to be filled. He served on many forums for creating harmony in South Asia. He received the fourth Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice from the Global Harmony Foundation of India in 2010. pr
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk