KARACHI: A book titled Insani Huqooq Ka Irtiqa Aur Tasawwur (evolution and concept of human rights) co-authored by Dr Tauseef Ahmed Khan and Dr Irfan Aziz was launched at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Friday evening.

The event, moderated by Ali Ousat, was presided over by Human Rights Commission of Pakistan chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt.

Mr Butt said both the authors have done a good job and put in hard work to come out with the book, step by step. He said today the kind of situation that Pakistan is in, the publishing of the book is important.

Eminent historian Dr Mubarak Ali had recorded a message for the occasion. He said the concept of human rights is not old. In the days of yore, when the monarchy was in vogue, people were treated as subjects. It used to be necessary to obey the king (or monarch). Things began to change when the concept of democracy was introduced which signified that people won’t be subjects, but treated as citizens. “It’s the state’s responsibility to protect its citizens.”

Historian Dr Mubarak Ali says protection of citizens is state’s responsibility

The historian also talked about the effects of the French Revolution — and writers such as Thomas Paine who wrote Rights of Man —on the whole scenario.

Informing the guests on the genesis of the publication, Dr Aziz said it was felt that such a subject should be included in the curriculum at university level. In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), proclaimed in 1948, 30 basic human rights were mentioned and member countries were asked to include them in their education systems. “The purpose of publishing the book is to make students and children aware of human rights.”

Mir Zulfiqar said the book is a comprehensive one and covers the history of human rights from the time Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution was introduced to the modern human rights movement.

Sohail Sangi gave, in the words of Dr Tauseef Ahmed, an alternative point of view with a Marxist interpretation of the movement. He was of the view that the state has always usurped the rights of citizens and it’s an oppressive apparatus. He also pointed out socialism’s contribution to the awareness of human rights, underlining it’s all a class struggle.

Mahnaz Rahman spoke on the book focusing on women’s rights.

Dr Riaz Shaikh opined the book has arrived timely at a time when capitalist leaders in the new world order are denying the importance of human rights. He said the emergence of far-right parties in the West also needs to be taken into account while discussing the subject. Turning his attention on the state, he said when the state becomes ideological, it gets doubly oppressive. He added the book shouldn’t just be available at educational institutions but everywhere.

Dr Syed Jaffer Ahmed began his address by saying that lack of awareness about human rights is not by default, but by design. But, he argued, it needs to be defined as to what human rights are and in which societies their implementation is possible. After shedding light on the difficulty of looking at things in a religious paradigm, he remarked that the minimum requirement to have human rights in a society is that the state should be secular. By secular, he added, he meant that the state treats all citizens equally. He raised a question, too, as to what human rights mean in a globalised world where global north is dominating global south.

Masroor Ahsan said the book is written in an easy-to-understand language.

Dr Tauseef Ahmed Khan said he showed the first draft of the book to Dr Aziz and Dr Shaikh, who brought about further changes and improved it.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2025