8 times Asma Jahangir taught us how to stand tall against injustice

Seven years ago today, Pakistan lost one of its leading voices, Asma Jahangir, that always rose against all kinds of injustices within and outside Pakistan. 

As someone who stood for justice and human dignity, Asma Jahangir could be dubbed as a Pakistani moral compass of sorts because she chose to stand by even those who wronged her. 

Today on her death anniversary we take a look at some of Asma’s achievements and also when she did not hold back in using humour along the way:

1. Having just turned 18, she alongside her sister Hina Jillani, was looking after litigations and protests to free her father Malik Ghulam Jillani, a civil servant and politician who was put behind bars for opposing martial law under General Yahya Khan. 

2. Asma founded Pakistan’s first all-women litigation firm in Lahore, AGHS Legal Aid Cell, with her sister Hina Jillani in 1980. 
   
3. As one of the leaders of Women’s Action Forum (WAF), Asma was arrested for the first time while protesting the Hudood Ordinance under military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq. 
   
4. She chose to represent Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)’s (now MQM-London) chief Altaf Hussain after Lahore High Court’s move to ban his speeches owing to the alleged remarks against state institutions including the armed forces. This led to the lawyers fraternity to call for suspension of her licence but she stood firm. 
   
5. She is also the reason why Pakistani women are able to get married out of their own will and choice. In 1997, the Lahore High Court upheld the marriage of a 22-year-old Pakistani woman without her guardian’s consent but urged legal reforms to reinforce parental authority and discourage courtships. Asma  played a key role in overturning this ruling. In 2003, the Supreme Court affirmed that Pakistani women had the absolute right to marry of their own free will, without requiring a wali’s (father or brother’s) consent. The court also ruled that the LHC had no authority to decide on a woman’s unilateral right to marry, as the Federal Shariat Court had settled the issue in 1981.
   
6. She was put under house arrest by dictator General Pervez Musharraf when he suspended the Constitution in 2007. She continued to struggle for an independent judiciary, something which ails Pakistan today as well, and played an active role in the Lawyers Movement before 2008 general elections.
   
7. Despite the criticism and malicious attacks on her by her critics, she became the first woman to be elected the President of the Supreme Court Bar Association in 2010. 
   
8. Given that questioning blasphemy is one zone which can land people into literal flames today, the past was not any better. In 1995, both Asma and Hina were able to defend two Christian teenagers, Salamat Masih and Rehmat Masih against death sentences on blasphemy allegations. 

She inspired the famous character of Saamiya Siddiqui (Rani Mukherjee) in the famous Bollywood Sharukh Khan starrer Veer-Zaara and also owned Twitter when it was not called X by tweeting “Attn peaceful Pakistanis Be arrested for flying kites Do not enjoy Valentine’s says High Court Only look forward to the next blast”. When a troll responded “plz give me ur daughter’s number, i want to wish her a happy valentine day”, Asma used her wit to get back at the troll by quickly responding ‘wish me one first’.