Elder Global Statesmen Praise Asma Jahangir's Commitment To Freedom, Justice

The Elders, a group of independent global leaders who work together on peace and human rights issues, Monday expressed their deep sadness over the passing away of prominent Pakistani lawyer and human rights defender Asma Jahangir

UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Feb, 2018 ) :The Elders, a group of independent global leaders who work together on peace and human rights issues, Monday expressed their deep sadness over the passing away of prominent Pakistani lawyer and human rights defender Asma Jahangir.

"Asma Jahangir was internationally respected for her pioneering work in her home country and beyond," The Elders said in a statement. The Elders are: Martti Ahtisaari, former President of Finland, Nobel Peace prize laureate; Kofi Annan (Chairman), former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Nobel Peace Prize laureate; Lakhdar Brahimi, former Foreign Minister of Algeria and United Nations envoy; Gro Harlem Brundtland (Deputy Chairman), former Prime Minister of Norway and former Director-General of the World Health Organization; Hina Jilani, international human rights defender from Pakistan; Graça Machel, former education Minister of Mozambique, President of the Foundation for Community Development, widow of Samora Machel and widow of Nelson Mandela; Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico; Ricardo Lagos, former President of Chile, and, Ban Ki-moon, former Secretary-General of the United Nations.

The statement said that Asma Jahangir "worked closely with her sister Hina Jilani, who is a member of The Elders, to set up Pakistan's first-ever free legal aid centre and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan." "Her commitment to freedom and justice transcended borders and made her a defiant critic of authoritarian regimes who sought to cloak their repression in the guise of cultural traditions." On his own behalf, Kofi Annan, the chairman of The Elders, added, "Asma Jahangir's tenacity, clarity of vision and unbending principles helped win countless victories in the struggle against authoritarianism.

"She spoke truth to power, and power was forced to listen. In this sad time, I hope her family can take some consolation that Asma's legacy will live on to inspire future generations of lawyers, feminists and human rights activists the world over."