Center For Peace And Secular Studies

Media Coverage

THE NEWS – SALMAN TASEER REMEMBERED

Published: The News – January 5, 2014

CIVIL society organisations held a candlelit vigil to pay tributes to Salman Taseer on his third death anniversary at Liberty Chowk.

The participants said that he was the ambassador of humanity, peace, progress, tolerance and the civil society.

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) IA Rehman said, “we will continue our struggle towards peace and prosperous Pakistan.”

“Salman Taseer was a symbol of human rights and minority rights in Pakistan and he had always given a message of tolerance and moderate society during his tenure as governor of Punjab and as an individual”, said Qurat-ul-Ain Zaidi.

Human rights activist Abdullah Malik said that all citizens were equal in Pakistan without any discrimination of caste, colour or creed. He said, “The minorities have their fundamental rights to go to their churches and temples freely. It was stated by our founding father Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in January 1948, if we want to save Pakistan, we have to follow the vision of Quid-i-Azam. It is the only way to save the motherland.” Saeeda Deep, patron of an NGO, said Salman Taseer presented the name of Pakistan in the world as a tolerant society, as he believed that Islam is religion of peace. “Murder of one human is a murder of humanity”, this is the message of universal Islamic thought, she said. “His death should not mark the death of progressive thought, but we should take this thought forward,” she said.

Dr Shahid Amin said, “His murder was the message to all peace-loving forces of Islam and other religions about the destruction of humanity. We consider this is not a message to all of us as a threat to the existence of humanity in the world.” He requested the judiciary to show no leniency to extremists.

Irfan Muti, Amna Malik, M Tehseen, Bushra Khaliq, Rabia Bajwa and many others also participated in the vigil.