PESHAWAR, July 5: Speakers at a condolence reference on Friday paid rich tribute to late Omar Asghar Khan, chief of Qaumi Jamhoori Party, and held the government responsible for his mysterious assassination.

The Joint Action Committee organized the reference at the Peshawar Press Club. Speaking on, ‘The way we knew him’, QJP leaders and social activists said Omar Asghar was a paragon of hope and optimism and he could not commit suicide, as claimed by the Karachi police.

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Chairman Afrasiab Khattak demanded that the government should establish a judicial commission and find the causes of Omar’s murder, which, he said, was wrongly dubbed as suicide. A man who had been persistent in his just struggle for the rights of people could not be declared as a coward, he said.

He said Omar’s thoughts and struggle for the rights of poor people would continue to inspire the people friendly forces. Many mafia were after him because of his struggle for the rights of people and their environment, Mr Khattak said.

Omar, he said, served the people in various capacities, as a teacher he taught at the University of Punjab, as a social activist he founded Sungi Development Foundation and as a political worker he launched his own political party to rid the country of feudalism. He sacrificed his life for the rights of people and became a victim of power mafia, he said.

He said: “The history curses traitors and killers and idolises committed leaders like Omar, who believe in the collected welfare of people in a society like Pakistan.”

Mr Khattak said intolerance, assassinations and sectarian killings had become order of the day in Pakistan. Gen Zia, who promoted the kalashnikov culture, had become a symbol of violence in Pakistan, he added.

He underlined the need for identification of Omar’s killers, who wanted to continue with their suppressive agenda against the masses.

The QJP provincial chief, Syed Mukhtar Bacha, said Omar had been a down-to-earth political activist throughout his life and it would be unwise to call him a coward, as being dubbed by the Karachi police.

He said Omar was opposed to the way of politics being promoted by the callous feudal lords, corrupt contractors and bureaucrats. He was opposed to any role for army in the power structure of the country, the QJP leader said.

Gul Rehman, president of United Labour Federation, praised the efforts by Omar for the working class. He said Omar played a positive role in getting the ban lifted on Water and Power Development Authority workers’ union and postal employees union.

Rakhshinda Naz, resident director, Aurat Foundation, said Omar had expanded the working scope of NGOs and exposed them to a larger audience. He took up political issues from the platform of the NGOs, she added.

Peshawar Press Club President Intikhab Amir said Omar was a symbol for committed political workers.