Asma Jahangir was a brave champion of human rights who leaves behind a powerful legacy, Amnesty International said today, following the 66-year-old Pakistani lawyer’s sudden death in Lahore on Sunday.

Salil Shetty, Amnesty’s Secretary General, said:

“For decades, Asma bravely fought for the most disadvantaged people in Pakistan, often at great personal risk.

“She championed the cause of women, children, bonded labourers, religious minorities, journalists, the disappeared, and so many others. She confronted injustice wherever she saw it.

“Asma’s sudden death is a loss not just for Pakistan, or for South Asia, but for the human rights movement globally.

“She leaves behind a powerful legacy that we must all honour by giving voice to those who are not being heard.”

At the time of her death, Asma Jahangir was a member of Amnesty’s Regional Advisory Group for the Asia-Pacific region.