KARACHI: Speakers at the launch of a book on slain lawyer and human rights activist Rashid Rehman on Wednesday expressed concern over the shrinking space for disagreement and dissent in society, saying that intolerance, extremism and injustice had made it increasingly difficult for people to stand up for the rights of others.
The book, Ishq Woh Kar-i-Musalsal Hai:Rashid Rehman Ki Jaddo-o-Jehed, authored by academic Dr Tauseef Ahmed Khan, documents the struggles of Mr Rehman, who was assassinated by armed assailants at his office in Multan on May 7, 2014 after he took up a blasphemy case and refused to back off.
The event was held at the Karachi Press Club and was moderated by Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) representative Sadia Baloch.
Prof Dr Anees Zaidi, who presided over the event, said Pakistan had, in many respects, gone backwards since 1947, particularly in terms of ethics and respect for the sanctity of human life. Differences and disagreements were essential to a healthy society, he said, but Pakistan had become increasingly extremist over the decades.
Ishq Woh Kar-i-Musalsal Hai launched at KPC
Senior journalist Mazhar Abbas said Mr Rehman had struggled against injustices on the pretext of religion and discrimination against women, minorities and poor people, regardless of the consequences.
He criticised the state of the justice system, saying the system remained unjust and that even those responsible for dispensing justice were constrained. “Munsif khud hi qaidi hain,” he remarked, adding that law enforcement agencies were also restrained.
Speaking about honour killings and karo-kari cases, Mr Abbas said it was unfortunate that such practices persisted. He also said that Pakistani society is largely hypocritical as people condemn undesirable practices but do not take meaningful steps to end them. He termed the declining number of people willing to take a courageous stand and raise their voices against injustice a crisis facing society.
Publisher Muhammad Farooq said the book raises questions about society’s capacity for endurance and its ability to tolerate disagreement. Censorship, he said, is not always imposed by the state but can also be enforced by society itself.
He said the boundaries of what was considered blasphemous appear to be expanding. The term, he added, is increasingly being applied to matters beyond religion, including debates over the creation of new provinces, protests against the loss of merit and criticism of state policies.
Academic Dr Riaz Shaikh called for the book to be translated into English so that Mr Rehman’s struggle could reach a wider audience. He also proposed observing May 7 as Rule of Law Day in Pakistan so that people could learn about Mr Rehman’s struggle. He also suggested that at least one law college building should be named after the slain lawyer.
Journalist Sohail Sangi and academic Dr Syed Jaffer Ahmed praised the book and Dr Tauseef Ahmed’s research, while speaking about the struggles of the slain lawyer.
The author spoke about the difficulties he encountered while researching, writing and publishing the book. He also referred to the case of Junaid Hafeez, who has faced prolonged difficulties in the courts since he was awarded death sentence in a blasphemy case in 2019.
Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2026
