LAHORE: A human rights organisation has recognised services of some rights defenders and announced awards for them on Thursday.

In its meeting, the jury committee of the Human Rights Society of Pakistan, the organisation headed by its lawyer S.M. Zafar, announced the awards for institutions and people for their services for human rights.

They included doctors and surgeons, anesthetics, nurses and paramedics who laid down their lives while trying to save the lives of the Covid-19 patients.

They were given the title of ‘Front Line Heroes’ and decided to assign their memory a collective award for the year 2020 to be received by the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA).

Others who have been given award include veteran human rights activist and writer I.A. Rehman for consistently raising a voice for upholding human dignity and human rights, Jalila Haider, the only woman lawyer from the Hazara community and labour leader Khursheed Ahmad for devoting his entire life for the welfare of the working class.

Speaking to Dawn, Ms Haider said: “There are hardly any organisations in Pakistan that recognise people like us. The mainstream society has been coaxed into hating us – they are made to feel as if human rights activists are traitors”.

The Human Rights Society has Begum Mehnaz Rafi as its senior vice president. Its vice presidents are Justice Retired Muneer A. Sheikh and Professor Humayun Ehsan and Alexander John Malik and Secretary General A.M. Shakoori.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2020