LAHORE: The Asma Jahangir Legal Aid Cell (AGHS) has announced that the 5th Asma Jahangir Conference, titled ‘People’s Mandate: Safeguarding Civil Rights in South Asia’ will be held here on April 27 and 28 at Faletti’s Hotel.

The two-day conference is being organised in collaboration with the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC).

Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazir Tarar, alongside the judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and high courts and ambassadors representing EU, the UK and Norway, will participate in the opening ceremony.

Politicians, including Yusuf Raza Gilani, Shahid Khaqan Abbassi, Abdul Malik Baloch, Akhtar Mengal, Barrister Syed Ali Zafar, Farooq Naek, Nafisa Shah, Shehla Raza, Khurram Dastagir, Baba Jan, Taj Haider, Farhatullah Babar, Dr Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Ayesha Raza Farooq, Raheela Durrani, Suraiya Bibi, and Samar Bilour, will also address the event.

Justice L.T.B Dehideniya, former judge of the Supreme Court in Sri Lanka and chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, with Justice Markandey Katju, former judge of the Supreme Court of India, former judge of the High Court of Denmark, Frederick Waage, former attorney general Irfan Qadir, retired Justice Nasira Iqbal, Sindh High Court Bar Association President Salahuddin Ahmed, will also be among the panelists to discuss legal issues across South Asia and in the Middle East.

Political and social analysts, such as Michael Kugelman (US), Mehbouba Seraj (Afghanistan) and Roshmi Goswami and Syeda Hamid (India) will provide insights and commentary on the recent elections held across South Asia.

Francesca Albanese, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Shawan Jabarin of the Palestinian human rights organization, Al-Haq; peace activist from West Bank, Palestine, Reverend Munther Isaac Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, Palestine, and Cecilia Bailet UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and International Solidarity will speak on the current Gaza crisis and the breach of international law.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024