Noted Ahmedabad-based civil rights activist and lawyer Shamshad Pathan has been appointed Gujarat president of the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), an organization led by senior Bombay High Court lawyer Yusuf Muchhala.
In his new role, Pathan plans to focus on human rights issues affecting tribals, Dalits, and minorities. He also aims to conduct para-legal training across the state to raise awareness about new criminal laws introduced by the government in July.
At 43, Shamshad Pathan has a long history of advocacy for marginalized communities, including the victims of the 2002 Gujarat riots. He is also the convener of the Alpsankhyak Adhikar Manch in Ahmedabad, which fights for minority rights in the state. Pathan was a close aide of the late Mukul Sinha, a noted human rights lawyer in Gujarat, and is associated with Sinha’s Jan Sangharsh Manch. Formerly the vice president of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in Gujarat, Pathan parted ways with the party in 2022 due to differences in leadership.
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