Aisha Amin, (73) a Labour Party Pakistan activists from Shahdra Lahore, is declared dead today after three days of missing. Her grand son Kamaran (23) is also one of those who lost their lives in Shamjoota Express train. It is known a peace train between India and Pakistan. The train was coming from Delhi to Lahore on 19th February when after bomb blast, a fire griped the three boogies of the train. Over 70 has so far confirmed dead.
Aisha Amin was elected as a councilor from Shahdra during 2001-2005 in an open contest. She got a record 1272 votes to top the list of women counselors. She joined Labour Party Pakistan during the year. She participated numerous demonstrations and played an important role in expanding the net work of Labour Party Pakistan. She was a close fried of Nazli Javed, member National Committee LPP and helped her to win the council seat as well.
Aisah Amin then went on to build Women Workers Help Line and she also helped Labour Education Foundation to open an adult literacy center at her home. She was one of the pupils at the literacy center although she was over 70. She said, “there is no age limit to learn.
Aisha Amin did not contest the local election in the year 2005. She was very much critic of the local government system where women councilors were not given any power to help the locals. She was saying several times to me that what is the use of being elected counselor when wecan not help the people, there are no funds available.
She always participated in demonstrations. During the end of December, she participated in an anti imerialist demonstration by LPP organized in Lahore where her this photo was taken.
By profession she was a mid wife for the local area, although not a qualified one but she has learnt to become Daiya (midwife) . Her brother died earlier in India and she left Pakistan on 22nd February to grief her family. Her family belonged to Saharan Pur.
The family waited three days after she went missing during the train fire. Two of her relatives went to India yesterday to check her whereabouts. This morning they informed that she was found unconscious in a jungle and will be OK. They also informed us that Kamran is also ok. But at 2pm today, the unfortunate news arrived that both are dead.
She is one the victims of those who want to kill anyone to make a point. It seems that the burning of the train was carried out some religious fundamentalist group who want no peace between India and Pakistan. Aisah Amin is a peace hero who lost her live in a train that is know as peace train.
Farooq Tariq
general secretary
Labour Party Pakistan
40-Abbot Road Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: 92 42 6315162 Fax: 92 42 6271149 Mobile: 92 300 8411945,
labourpartypk yahoo.com www.laborpakistan.org www.jeddojuhd.com