Stood up for what was right, wished for free Balochistan, Kurdistan and Iran: Natasha Fatah remembers father Tareq Fatah

Toronto [Canada], April 25 : Tarek Fatah's daughter Natasha Fatah, in a free-wheeling conversation with , said her father always stood for "a collective Balochistan, a collective Kurdistan, a free Iran and for beautiful earth".

She said the revered commentator and columnist, always spoke for what he believed was right.

The Pakist-Canadian columnist passed away on Monday after a prolonged battle with cancer. Natasha, a journalist herself, broke the news.

"Lion of Punjab. Son of Hindustan. Lover of Canada. Speaker of truth. Fighter for justice. Voice of the downtrodden, underdogs, and the oppressed. Tarek Fatah has passed the baton on... his revolution will continue with all who knew and loved him. Will you join us? 1949-2023," Natasha tweeted.

A great friend of India, Tarek Fatah passed away in Toronto at the age of 73. He authored several books and was a lifelong and vocal advocate for Baloch human rights. He was a fierce critic of the cross-border terrorism perpetrated by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking to , his daughter said the Partition of India remained a painful episode for him throughout his life.

Giving a sense of how her father could never come to terms with Partition, Natasha said the tragic event ripped apart India's limbs.

"The love, deep joy and passion he had for India were matched equally by the depth of sorrow and pain he felt for Partition. The soul of India, the limbs of India were ripped from its body during Partition. My father fought the forces that tried to tear India and Pakistan apart," she said.

She added that while her father might be no more, his deep affection for India will live on and Indians will forever hold him dear in their hearts.

Quoting her father, Natasha said, "India makes the world go round. If India collapses, the world will fall. My dad always used to say that in the beginning, the world was black and white and then God created India. It was from India that the world derived all the beautiful colours of the universe, as well as our beautiful souls and spirits."

She said Tarek Fatah stood for what was right and demonstrated the same in the way he spoke up for issues concerning his "beloved' India and Canada. "If someone is being disrespected, their land is being stolen from them, their education is being denied, or their land and their life are being compromised in any way, one must stand up for them. These are basic principles that he carried in every fibre of his being," she said.

"He stood for Balochistan, for a collective Kurdistan, a free Iran, a beautiful India and a beautiful earth. We owe our origins to the same universe and my father has now returned to the place of his birth," she added.

Born in Karachi, before migrating to Canada in 1987, Fatah was an award-winning reporter, columnist, and radio and television commentator in Canada and elsewhere across the world, with a huge social media following, according to Toronto Sun.

He was a political activist, a fierce defender of human rights and a staunch opponent of religious fanaticism in any form.

As a secular Muslim who authored books such as 'The Jew is Not My Enemy: Unveiling the Myths that Fuel Muslim Anti-Semitism' and 'Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State', Tarek remained undeterred even in the face of controversies.

Far from shying away from a controversy, he would dive right into it.

He was a fierce critic of Pakistan and an advocate for the Baloch separatist movement the fight for an independent Balochistan.

Expressing his condolences over the death of the columnist, 'Kashmir Files' director Vivek Agnihotri tweeted, "There was one and only @TarekFatah- daring, funny, knowledgable, sharp thinker, great orator and a fearless fighter. Tarek, my brother, it was a delight to have you as a close friend. Will you be able to rest in peace? Om Shanti."