The Human Rights Society of Pakistan held a meeting of its award committee on Monday under the presidency of Senator SM Zafar. The 31st award for human rights was discussed. Justice (r) Javed Iqbal, Justice Munir A Sheikh, PU VC Dr Mujahid Kamran, former PML-Q MNA Mehnaz Rafi, Professor Humayun Ehsan and others also attended the meeting. Secretary General M Shakoori applauded the efforts of PML-N MNA Javed Hashmi, who from student days had done a lot to maintain human rights and always kept his values at hand. The committee said that he deserved an award. They also discussed poet Ahmed Faraz who went to jail and was ostracised by the government because of his rebellious poetry, and who even returned the Hilal-e-Imtiaz in 2006 also deserved the award, the committee said. Robeena Bhatti, a Christian from Sargodha, was also chosen by the committee for the award for her constant fight for women’s rights. Also deserving of the award was Abdul Salam Soomro, the man who made the video of the rangers’ violence in Karachi against Sarfaraz Shah who was killed by them was also chosen for the award.
