Fauzia Rafiq < سجن > ظفریاب احمد > مضمون>

See U Soon, Zafaryab! 
An Obituary 
by Fauzia Rafiq

The death, 25 January 2006, of journalist Zafaryab Ahmad sets a tremor in the minds of Pakistani activists of my generation. At 53, he was too young to die. A student activist in Lahore; a journalist for the weekly Viewpoint; editor of the first Punjabi newspaper Sajjan; he was a strong advocate for victims of Child labor. Having tasted the people power in the 1970s for democratic rights, he faced the death penalty and prison in the 80s to be pushed into isolation, resourcelessness, failing valves of the heart by the 90s. 
He fought it all back, and was on top of almost everything. He was active and resourceful, working and writing in the United States till he headed back in the end of 2005 to roost. I knew Zafaryab since 1973 from the Punjab University where he gave me the impression of being a pleasant political activist but I actually came to know him as a person in 1997-98 on my last visit to Pakistan. He was indeed pleasant even when going through perhaps the most demoralizing period of his life. He was generous and a great friend even when he thought he had about five years to live. He did four more than his expectations. Today I found Zafaryab’s poem on the net, a surprise for me. I knew him as a journalist from his published work, and as a fiction writer from the unpublished manuscript of his novel ‘Stylus’ as titled in 1998.  

A Plea from the peace loving people of the world

Oh 
The champions of peace justice 
Democracy 
Human Rights 
Open your Eyes 
Look at your violent crimes 
Valley of Sinai is ablaze again 
The Emperor has no clothes 
And 
The Moses is a tyrant 
And God is fast asleep
But The valley of Sinai is ablaze 
(Zafay)

In his bio with the poem, Zafaryab says: 
"I was recognized as one of 11 defendants of UDHR as I was charged with high treason for protesting child labor in Pakistan. I live in a very precarious situation as an asylee in the US: Wanted in the land of my birth and a suspect in my adopted land!" 

There is something Zafaryab’s bio says to me: 
How many journalists, writers and activists will continue to suffer before we will begin to build any support structures? In 1998, after having worked as a journalist and a rights activist for a life time, Zafaryab had no pension to live on, no medical plan to care for his heart condition, no disability insurance, no employment and no employment insurance. 
Zafaryab was may be more resourceful to have overcome some of those barriers. Many journalists, writers and activists who have tendered a life time of service to journalism, art and democratic movements in Pakistan, are now left on their own to deal with their illnesses and lives.
With no support from the system that they fight and no support from the people that they serve, many will see Zafaryab sooner than later. 
January 28, 2006