The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation has announced the naming of two city roads after slain human rights activists Sabeen Mahmud and Perveen Rehman.
Sabeen Mahmud, 40, who was the founder and director of the Karachi-based cafe The Second Floor (T2F), was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on her way home after hosting a seminar on Balochistan in April 2015.
Saad Aziz, the prime suspect of the Safoora Chowrangi massacre, told interrogators that he had killed the T2F director for her liberal and anti-Taliban views as well as holding a Valentine’s Day rally.
The suspect was tried and sentenced to death by a military court last month.
Perveen Rahman was a social activist and director of the Orangi Pilot Project Research and Training Institute.
In March 2013, she was killed when four gunmen opened fire on her vehicle near Pirabad Police Station, ending her 28-year-long career for land and basic services rights for Pakistan’s poor. She had been an outspoken critic of the land mafias in Karachi and their political patrons.
“Road near Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (Between Road 8000 and Road 10000 from Road 3000 to Road 5000) in Korangi has been named after as “Sabeen Mahmud Road”,” a notification by the KMC Administrator said.
“Road along Bagh Iben-e-Qasim (from Shahra-e-Firdousi to Marine Promenade) in Clifton Area has been named after “Perveen Rehman Road”,” it said.
In addition, the KMC chief named Road A (from Atmaram Pritamdas Road to Tannery Road) in Lyari Town “Sultan Mahmood Qazi Road”
