Google celebrates 65th birthday of late Pakistani urban planner Perween Rahman

Google celebrates 65th birthday of late Pakistani urban planner Perween Rahman

Google celebrates 65th birthday of late Pakistani urban planner Perween Rahman

Perween Rahman’s 65th Birthday. Image: Google

Advertisement

In recognition of her services for marginalised communities in Pakistan, Google on Saturday dedicated a doodle to social activist, architect, and urban planner Perween Rahman on her 65th birth anniversary.

Read more: Google Doodle honours Moin Akhter on his 71st birthday

Rahman was murdered on March 13, 2013, in Orangi Town. On December 17, a Karachi Anti-Terrorism Court sentenced four men to life imprisonment for her murder.

According to Google, Rahman was born on this day in 1957 in Dhaka, Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Following the partition of Pakistan in 1971, she relocated with her family to Karachi. Rahman studied architecture and went on to earn her master’s in housing, building, and urban planning from the Institute of Housing Studies in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Rahman’s personal experiences of displacement inspired her to pursue a career advocating for housing security, and in 1982, she began working as an unpaid intern for the Orangi Pilot Project (OPP).

Advertisement
Perween Rahman

Perween Rahman at work. Image: Perween Rahman family via Google

This organization focused on sanitation, housing, and healthcare in Orangi Town on the outskirts of Karachi, one of the world’s largest informal settlements. Here, many residents could not rely on legal protection to maintain rights to their homes and were frequently evicted for construction projects.

From meticulously documenting property boundaries and ownership information to spearheading education and community engagement initiatives, Rahman’s work soon became integral in protecting the region’s precarious community.

Rahman’s dedication to helping Orangi Town’s 1.5 million residents protect their land rights led to her appointment as head of the OPP’s housing and sanitation programs. With Rahman at the helm, the OPP partnered with the government to set up 650 private schools, 700 medical clinics, and 40,000 small businesses.

She has been given numerous accolades for her achievements, notably the Sitara-e-Shujaat (Order of Bravery award), and her efforts have played an instrumental role in defining how Pakistani settlements are developed today.

“Perween, the youngest of us four siblings was the touchstone of our family. A fierce believer and upholder of the rights of humanity and nature – the elderly, the youth, the differently-abled, man, woman, the transgendered, people of all sexual orientations, trees and flowers, birds and bees, moths and butterflies, cats and dogs. Most compassionate, highly spirited, feisty. Devoted daughter, faithful friend, soul sister and a combination of it all to her two nieces,” Rahman’s sister Aquila Ismail told Google.

Read more: Google Acknowledges Pakistani YouTuber Mubashir Saddique’s Success

“We are deeply touched by this gesture from Google. It is life-affirming to see that Perween’s contribution to Pakistan, the values she stood for and her legacy are being celebrated today. May we all strive to be just in our actions and continue to find inspiration in life itself, like our beloved Perween,”she added.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Read More News On

Catch all the Pakistan News, Breaking News Event and Latest News Updates on The BOL News


Download The BOL News App to get the Daily News Update & Follow us on Google News.


End of Article

Next Story