KARACHI: Bringing into focus, the lifelong struggles of lawyer and human rights activist Rashid Rehman, the book Eshq Wo Kar-e Musal Sal Hai by columnist and academician Prof Dr Tauseef Ahmed Khan was launched at the office of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) here on Wednesday.

Introducing the book, HRCP vice chairperson Qazi Khizar said it tells you the story of the lawyer and human rights activist Rashid Rehman from his birth to his death.

“He was a lawyer and head of HRCP in Multan who had dedicated his life to helping the poor and those being wronged. He fought for their rights. And that’s what he was doing defending Junaid Hafeez, a university lecturer being tried on blasphemy charges,” he said, adding that Rehman was Hafeez’s second lawyer as his first counsel turned down the case and didn’t even return the fee.

“For taking the case he was receiving open death threats. All his friends tried to convince him to stop defending Junaid Hafeez, the lecturer. But he was adamant,” he said.

Assistant Professor Dr Irfan Aziz observed that a few thousand new books are being published here annually though most of them are propaganda books or digests while books on serious subjects are scarce. “We need books about our society, our people. We need realistic books,” he said.

Regional Director of Aurat Foundation Mahnaz Rehman said that the seemingly small book is a well-researched treatise. She also said that people used to be afraid to speak up about Junaid Hafeez. But now many are talking about the misuse of the blasphemy law. “This month we also saw the horrific Priyantha Kumara lynching incident, which has brought the issue back into focus,” she said.

Dr Riaz Ahmed Shaikh said it is a book of just nine chapters but it is a notable book.

“It is an open FIR against the state of Pakistan, which cannot save people who stand up to defend those who are being wronged here. It is the state that should save people from exploitation but instead, it was Rashid Rehman who did all this. He helped people trapped in bonded labour, he helped in land reforms for the poor peasants, he defended women’s rights, he also went to jail and that, too, when he just had heart surgery,” he said.

Senior journalist Ghazi Salahuddin said that the book was very much needed. “Our human rights defenders should know of their role models and Rashid Rehman was a role model,” he said.

He also added that during the Priyantha Kumara incident one man was trying to stop the mob, who was later called and honoured at the Prime Minister House. “But Rashid Rehman was also like that. Why has he not been honoured?”

Activist and journalist Zohra Yusuf sent in a message that was read out on the occasion. She writes that she still has emails from Rashid Rehman about the threats he was receiving. “He was even threatened before a judge but no action was taken. He was an exceptionally committed human rights fighter and I thank Dr Tauseef to put his story into the record and in print,” she wrote.

Finally, the author of the book Dr Tauseef spoke. He said that the book could have been published long ago and in Rashid Rehman’s life but the manuscript was with the slain lawyer for years to review ahead of its publication. “And finally when he did go through it, he was gunned down soon after on May 7, 2014,” he said.

“Meanwhile, Junaid Hafeez has been in jail for 10 years. There has been no progress on his appeal, too. He was a fine young teacher who is locked up due to a law that can be misused. There are several other laws like the blasphemy law introduced in the Ziaul Haq’s regime, which go against human rights and which need to be revisited and talked about to spread awareness about their downside,” he concluded.

Senior journalist Sohail Sangi, labour leader Usman Baloch and HRCP’s co-chairman Asad Iqbal Butt also spoke.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2021