Muhammad Jan Gigyani was a well-known human rights defender and lawyer. A long-time advocate for the rights of the poorest and most down-trodden members of society, he regularly took on women’s rights and labour rights cases in courts. He was amongst the core members of Amn Tehreek (Peace Movement), a group promoting peace in the troubled regions of the province, back in 2009.

Muhammad Jan Gigyani notably performed absentia funeral prayers for Alesha, a transgender woman human rights defender who was shot on 22 May 2016 and died three days later. She was the coordinator of the TransAction Alliance, a group defending the rights of the transgender community in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Muhammad Jan Gigyani was a member of Charsadda Bar Association and the former president of Shabqadar Bar Association, and he acted as a provincial counsel member for the secular Qaumi Watan Party (QWP)