Karachi, 7 January. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) deeply mourns the passing of Justice (Retd) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim. He was one of HRCP’s founder members and served on the Commission’s first Council. An eminent jurist and human rights defender, he espoused the spirit of the Commission – to protect the rights of the most disadvantaged. It was he who initiated public interest litigation to help protect the rights of the poor.

As a committed democrat, he refused to take oath under General Zia-ul-Haq’s Provisional Constitutional Order in 1981, along with the late Justice Dorab Patel, HRCP’s founder chairperson. Justice (Retd) Ebrahim was also a public intellectual and had the foresight to set up the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) while serving as Governor of Sindh; the CPLC continues to function to this day. A man of unimpeachable integrity, he served as Chief Election Commissioner during the 2013 national elections. His contribution to the human rights movement over many decades will not be forgotten.

On behalf of Dr Mehdi Hasan

Chairperson