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1. 28/3/5 - The News: Shahla: a symbol of struggle, courage [local copy]
2. 28/3/5 - The Nation: Shahla Zia services for women rights eulogised [local copy]

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Reference pays glowing tributes to the departed crusader

By Rasheed Khalid

ISLAMABAD: Speakers at a National Reference on Shahla Zia, one of the pioneer activists of Women’s Action Forum and co-founder of Aurat Foundation, paid glowing tributes to the departed lady, which became a symbol of continuous struggle, courage and commitment.

Aurat Foundation, WAF and other civil society organisations, friends and admirers of Shahla organised the reference and described this an event of celebration because hers was a life spent in pursuit of happiness for others.

The love, affection and dedication associated with Shahla was exemplified by the packed spacious auditorium at ILO building here on Sunday. Naeem Mirza conducted the proceedings. Intellectuals and activists from all corners of the country came to pay homage to Shelly, as she was lovingly called by her friends.

She had many important days in her life she judiciously devoted to her family as well as the cause, said Tahira Abdullah in a choked voice. One such day was February 12 when WAF organised a march against Law of Evidence in Lahore in 1983, which was tear-gassed and lathi charged during Zia period. Shelly was among many others who were arrested. The day is observed as Women’s Day in Pakistan.

That epoch-making day was doubly symbolised for Shelly as it was her birthday also that she passed behind the bars.

Nigar Ahmad, the executive director of Aurat Foundation, highlighted her sense of humour, humility, clarity and zeal for work. Dr Faqir Hussain, Secretary Law and Justice Commission, referred to her extraordinary talent and said that she was one of the pioneers that brought the movement to the take-off-stage.

Justice (retd) Majida Rizvi, former Chairperson of National Commission on the Status of Women, recalled her interaction with Shelly, her command over legal issues pertaining to human rights and her role in preparing the report on Hudood Ordinance by the review committee of NCSW.

Nilofar Bakhtiar, advisor to the Prime Minister on Women Development, recalled the untiring efforts of Shelly against discriminatory laws. She pledged to take up the case of Hudood Ordinance as a mark of respect to Shahla Zia. She said that despite the illness of her husband, Shelly fulfilled the promise of preparing a draft on amending the Karo-kari Law though the advisor admitted that the approved law had many flaws. All the good things in the amended law are because of Shelly and the bad things are because of the government, she candidly confessed.

Justice (retd) Shaiq Usmani was straightforward and terse in setting the record straight. Being himself a member of the legal expert team who worked with Shelly on the Karo-kari Bill, he said whatever passed by the Parliament has nothing to do with what Shelly and other members had proposed. He warned against hijacking and en-cashing the name of Shelly.

Iqbal Haider, former minister of law and general secretary, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, said she institutionalised the struggle for human and women rights.

Chandni Joshi, regional director of UNIFEM, based in Nepal said that death of Shelly was a loss for the women emancipation movement in Pakistan, in the SAARC countries and the world. PPPP MNA Fouzia Habib said that Shahla taught us laws on women’s legal rights and gender issues.

The Aurat Foundation announced a fellowship scheme for law students in the name of Shahla Zia. Messages from CEDAW Committee, women organisations from Bangladesh, India and Malaysia were read on the occasion. Sohail Safdar and Rakhshinda Perveen recited their poems on Shelly. Anees Haroon from Karachi WAF, Muzaffar Mahmood Qureshi, ex-Law Secretary, Marium Bibi, Aysha Khan, Nasreen Azhar also addressed the gathering.

[Source: http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/mar2005-daily/28-03-2005/national/n13.htm]

By Raja Assad Hameed

ISLAMABAD - Law experts, human rights activists, colleagues and friends Sunday paid rich tributes to Shahla Zia for her glorious struggle for creation of a fair, just and humane society and empowerment of women.

In a reference held at ILO Auditorium in remembrance of Shahla Zia, a lawyer by profession and a great women rights activist in her belief and determination, the speakers eulogised Shahla, more commonly known as Shelly among the civil society, for her relentless struggle for the empowerment of women and attainment of rights for marginalised sections of society for more than about three decades.

Those who spoke on the occasion include Advisor to Prime Minister for Social Welfare Nilofar Bakhtiar, former Law Minister Syed Iqbal Haider, Justice (Retd) Shaiq Usmani, Nigar Ahmed, Naeem Mirza and Rakhshanda Naz of Aurat Foundation.

The speakers said the civil society has gathered to celebrate the day in remembrance of Shelly instead of mourning, as she would always live in hearts and minds of those with whom she worked in so many years and for whom she struggled for so many decades.

“We celebrate it because it is a life spent in pursuit of happiness for others, it is a spirit that is indomitable and uncompromising on principles,” read an Aurat Foundation invitation to the reference.

Shahla Zia started her carrier as a lawyer at Lahore in mid seventies by joining Hassan and Hassan Advocates and later worked with AGHS, Shirkat Gaha on women and social issues before forming Aurat Foundation with Nigar Ahmed after a decade where she actively served for rest of her life as an awareness campaigner on women issues.

During her address on the occasion, Nigar Ahmed of Aurat Foundation, who was a long time associate and friend of Shelly, recalled many experiences and events when the departed lady stood beneficial for either her friends and colleagues or the cause she struggled.

Advisor to PM for Social Welfare and Women Development Nilofar Bakhtiar paid tributes to Shahla for her struggle. Nilofar also claimed that Shahla Zia contributed in the recent legislation by present government on honour killing issue.

Justice Shaiq Usmani in his speech unfolded many of his memories regarding the role of Shahla Zia in constitution of National Commission on Status of Women and formulation of its recommendations for uplift of women in the society.

However, Justice Usmani strongly contradicted Nilofar for trying to connect Shahla Zia with the honourkilling bill proposed by the present ruling party in the Parliament.

Syed Iqbal Haider, in his address, told the participants that Shahla Zia braved the torture and hardships during the women movement against Zia regime when it incorporated controversial laws in Constitution such as Qanoon-e-Shahadat and Hudood Ordinance.

At the end, Rakhshanda Naz of Aurat Foundation announced two Shahla Zia scholarships for law students every year for carrying on the mission of deceased lady.

Dr Attiya Inayat Ullah, Tahira Abdullah, Dr Faqir Hussain, Shahnaz Wazir Ali and Shahnaz Bukhari also attended the reference.

[Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/mar-2005/28/nationalnews3.php]

[Last updated: 7 April, 2005]