Asma Jahangir
I don't need a certificate of my patriotism from those in the establishment.Collection: Patriotism
Duplicity in matters of religion is not confined to Pakistan, but it hurts the most in societies where debate on religion is asphyxiated and preachers of hate have become keepers of faith.Collection: Religion
Terrorism does not disappear with revenge tactics but through making justice and equality before law a reality.Collection: Equality
Everything is a risk in Pakistan: If you defend women, it's a risk. If you defend non-Muslims it's a risk. If you discuss religion, it's a risk. But you can't really sit there like a vegetable in your own society. And I'm committed to that society... and I feel I need to turn around and speak as I should.Collection: Religion
I had been very impressed with the courts we visited to see my father. The judges wearing wigs, the lawyers, the legal arguments - it was all exciting stuff for a kid.Collection: Legal
The way my father worked altruistically and the manner in which he used to go behind bars and come back home smilingly was inspirational.Collection: Inspirational
When there is oppression and dictatorship, by not speaking out, we lose our dignity.
I am certainly not a martyr kind of a person. I love my life. But if one has to, then there is nothing more nobler a cause that I can think of.
Even when we talked about child labor, we were frowned upon. But then you know that you have to speak the truth irrespective of the repercussions.
I would simply not compromise on the fundamental rights of people.
The world has to have zero tolerance for naked dictatorship.
Terrorism and religious extremism are huge challenges. They go hand in glove.
Crime takes place in every country. But it becomes abuse when the state is unwilling and unable to protect the life and honour of its citizens.
Women's rights was thought of as a Western concept. Now people do talk about women's rights - political parties talk about it, even religious parties talk about it.
However flawed democracy is, it is still the only answer.
The morality of a society is not judged by the behaviour of an oppressed class but by the rules and laws made by the state, which either protect or exploit an already depressed section of society.
There was a time that human rights was not even an issue in this country. Then prisoners' rights became an issue.
I suppose anyone who calls a dictator a dictator is 'dangerous' and 'imbalanced.'
I'm not fearful for myself, because I've seen adversity, and I can see it again. But I feel very upset and anguished when I see images of young lawyers beaten up.
I have protection. I have police protection. I have personal bodyguards. I have three sets of them. But believe me, this is really psychological for the family. If they want to get me, they can get me. And every time that I have been saved, it's been by coincidence.
Every fair-minded person holding a position of authority must support the few who have stood up against the injustice being perpetrated in the name of blasphemy.
To set a trap for a handful of promiscuous individuals, the Zina law has laid a minefield for women in difficult circumstances.
General Zia-ul-Haq, a dictator and unscrupulous political actor, used Islam as a pretext for waging war in Afghanistan and adopting an aggressive stance towards India. By advancing a more orthodox version of Islam, he was able to hold on to a repressive regime and quell any opposition.
There used to be very few women in prisons, but this changed with the introduction of the hudood laws.
Past experience has shown that the Islamists gain space when civilian authority weakens.
The Musharraf government has declared martial law to settle scores with lawyers and judges. Hundreds of innocent Pakistanis have been rounded up. Human rights activists, including women and senior citizens, have been beaten by police. Judges have been arrested and lawyers battered in their offices and the streets.
I am so proud of Pakistanis and specifically of our lawyers for speaking out and getting their heads bashed in for a better Pakistan.
We are so resilient as a people. I have so much respect for their dignity and courage. I hope the world sees this side of Pakistan, one where professionals want a democracy. The spirit of our intelligentsia cannot be broken.
Look at the world, all the suffering... Being under house arrest is the least I can sacrifice.
I had to face imprisonment and house arrests, but it made me tougher.
As a lawyer, many a time I took up difficult and sensitive cases dealing with minorities' and women's rights. Yes, I constantly receive threats, and to be very honest, at times it is very scary. But I have to continue my work.
We believe that when there is a democratic setup, we have a greater voice.
Even before his detention, my father was fighting many cases. He remained in jail in Multan. He remained in jail in Bannu. But we were not allowed to go see him there. We always saw him in courts. So for me, the courts were a place where you dressed up to see your father. It had a very nice feeling to it.
We may fight terrorism through brute force, but the terror that is unleashed in the name of religion can only be challenged through moral courage.
The Army is into every business in this country. Except hairdressing.
Musharraf's government has a civilian face - there are still elections and assemblies - and he has come to believe his own propaganda that he really is a democrat.
I have no illusions about our elected politicians. Pakistani democracy is anything but perfect.
The state has not only the obligation to stay neutral in matters of religion but also to ensure that freedom of thought and conscience of all individuals is protected.
Religiosity is suffocating in Pakistan. It invariably stokes the fire in driving society to religious extremism.
I think I have lived enough in this country where I can say what I think is true and which is the voice of my conscience.
I cannot bear to live where there is so much injustice and I cannot do something about it. What kind of a torturous life is that?
Fortunately, when Benazir Bhutto was prime minister, she banned public whipping of women - banned whipping of women, period, which is a marvelous thing she did.
If your people don't really believe or respect you, if you don't have the moral authority to rule, then your goose is cooked.
In bonded labour cases, judges would ask me why I had brought those people to the courts who stank. 'You are here precisely for them,' I would respond.
Yes, I am very unhappy, extremely anguished at human rights violations against Kashmiris in India or against Rohingyas in Burma or, for that matter, Christians in Orissa; but obviously, I am going to be more concerned of violations taking place in my own house because I am closer to the people who I live with. I have more passion for them.
There have always been difficult situations for activists in Pakistan. In the 1960s, people fought for linguistic and ethnic rights in relation to the Bangladesh movement and the struggle of the people in the western Balochistan province.
The interaction between human rights campaigners from Pakistan and India was a big taboo in the 1980s. When we started traveling to India to increase people-to-people contact between the two nations, we knew that we would face serious repercussions back home.
Organized groups claiming roots in religious ideologies have unleashed an all-pervasive fear of mob violence in many parts of the country.
Agencies must know who they are accountable to. If the agencies know who they are accountable to but we cannot say who they are accountable to, then really it is a very sad situation that is bound to be misused. It is bound to affect human rights.
It is not easy for the courts to control the intelligence agencies. There has to be concerted and coordinated effort on part of the courts, the parliament, and the government.