LAHORE: In a shocking news the prominent Human rights and leading lawyerAsma Jahangir passed away on Sunday. She was 66 years old.
Her spokesperson said Jahangirwas taken to a private hospital on FerozepurRoad after suffering a cardiac arrest today where she breathed her last.
Jahangir remained the head of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan andthe Supreme Court Bar Association.
She was known for taking up court cases of victimisedand marginalisedsections of society, as well as speaking against human rights violationsand her courageous stand against the military rule of General Ziaul Haq.
An author and a staunch activist fordemocracy, Jahangir received severalaccolades for her work on human rights.
Jahangir also remained the special rapporteur on human rights for theUnited Nations.
Following the sad news, messages of grief and condolences were shared onsocial media as well as by prominent officials, including the president andSupreme Court chief justice.
Jahangir was also a vocal opponent of judicial overreach and would oftenconfront the superior judiciary when it would extend its jurisdiction inher opinion.
She was also a partner at AGHS Law Associates and head of its legal aidcell.
Born in 1952, she completed her bachelors of arts and law from Lahore andthen went on to pursue higher legal studies from Switzerland, Canada and US.