The government, on the eve of International Human Rights Day, will confer a Defender of human rights award on former Federal Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Syed Iqbal Haider (late) today (Monday) in recognition of his services for promoting human rights in the country.
Syed Iqbal Haider (late) was a senior advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and also remained the co-chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). The Defender of human right award will be conferred on him today by Prime Minster Raja Pervez Ashraf at a ceremony at the Prime Minister House and his elder daughter Barrister Alizeh Iqbal Haider will collect the award on his behalf.
Talking to Business Recorder, Barrister Alizeh Haider said that the award is being conferred on her father for his services for promoting the human rights in the country. She said that late Syed Iqbal Haider was the first Human Rights Minister in November 1993 to December 1994, appointed by former Prime Minister and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) late chairperson Benazir Bhutto. Alizeh further said that due to his struggles late Iqbal Haider, a number of new laws for promotion of human rights were made and several other amendments were made. Syed Iqbal Haider died on November 11, 2012 at 67 due to lung disease and breathed his last at a hospital in Karachi.