LAHORE: A condolence reference for rights activist Nigar Ahmed was held at the Government College University here on Wednesday.

The Old Ravians Union (ORU) organised the reference to pay tribute to Nigar Ahmad, who passed away last month. She was 72.

A leftist, Ahmed was a founding member of the Women Action Forum (1981). In mid 1980s she headed and co-founded the Aurat Foundation and held demonstrations against dictator Gen Ziaul Haq.

GCU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah said on the occasion Nigar Ahmad not only gave a new vision of empowerment to women but also took initiatives for bringing the invisible women in the economy to the level where they were not only seen but recognised and counted.

“Ahmed, who did her post-graduation in Economics from the Government College (now a varsity) was a member of the college’s dramatics club and later editor of The Ravi (GC’s literary magazine),” he said.

Eminent writer Neelam Hussain said Ahmed was a person of strong passion and great loyalty for places and people. “In our last meeting, Nigar Ahmed had expressed her unhappiness over the loss of old values in society,” she said.

Salima Hashmi said Nigar Ahmed would always turn up with a lot of questions in the class. She said Ahmed was Shoiab Hashmi’s most “irreplaceable and “impossible” student at the GC. She described Nigar Ahmad as “a student who refused to observe the norms unusually associated with the label.”

Rights activist Begum Mehnaz Rafi said Ahmed had very clear thinking. “She enjoyed life on her own terms,” she said.

Her friends including Samina Khan, Saima Jaisam and Irfan Mufti also spoke.

ORU Secretary Rana Asadullah, Vice-President Asjad Ghani Tahir and Honorary Secretary Prof Dr Khalid Manzoor Butt also spoke.

COMPETITION: The Government College for women Gulberg on Wednesday held inter-collegiate competition of Husn-i-adaigee (rendition) of works of famous Urdu poets.

The contesting students recited the poetry of Ahmad Faraz, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, besides Mirza Ghalib and Mir Taqee Mir.

The Government Wahdat Road College team won the firstt prize. Certificates were distributed among the participants by the principal.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2017