The most benevolent and brilliant comrade I A Rehman passed away in Lahore today (April 12, 2021) at the age of 90. A true tribune of the people who always stood on the right side of history and with the oppressed and disenfranchised peoples of the world.
A vanguard of human, civil, social, economic, gender, and minorities’ rights, I A Rehman was everywhere and always stood fast with the people’s struggles for their rights.
A leading Marxist and a revolutionary activist, who continued to pursue truth and acquire new ideas while not succumbing to dogmatism or sectarianism. He was a cardholder of the communist party and kept it to his chest despite the demise of the united party. A broad-minded person who is always ready to listen to others and flexible enough to bridge the divides. He was a man of everybody ready to do something for the people.
A prolific and professional writer and a senior editor, he continued to write for the daily and periodical press. He had prolific memory and continued to write regularly his columns till his death in the Dawn. He was closely associated with the PFUG and trade union movement.
I A Rehman was the pioneer of the human rights movement in Pakistan and was the real spirit and architect behind the formation and development of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). He was the author of various human rights reports who set the agenda of various rights groups.
Above all, what made him so popular with people of all ages was his polite, pleasant, and affectionate manners. He nursed no grievances, nor carried any grievances. Man of simple manners and magical attraction, he was respected by everybody. A great friend indeed and guide in whose demise the peoples of Pakistan have lost a visionary who thought and lived for them.
