KARACHI: Speakers at a programme held to commemorate the iconic communist leader, Hasan Nasir, spoke on Sunday about the cause for which he chose to live a life of poverty and the intriguing circumstances in which he had died in Lahore Fort in 1960 when General Ayub Khan’s military regime explicitly targeted communists and trade unionists.

The programme was organised by the Awami Workers Party (AWP) Karachi chapter at PMA House.

Party secretary general Advocate Akhtar Hussain, Karachi president Usman Baloch, vice president Saleha Athar, Asar Imam, Shafi Shaikh, Hameeda Ghanghro, wife of communist leader, Nazeer Abbasi, who died in detention during General Ziaul Haq’s military rule, Hani Baloch and Salahuddin Gandapur spoke.

Hasan Nasir was born in 1928 to a rich family in Hyderabad Deccan. He was a great grandson of Nawab Mohsin ul Mulk, who turned communist while studying at Cambridge. He chose a life of poverty after migrating to Pakistan when the British India was divided and died at the age of 32 in Lahore Fort on November 13, 1960 where he was confined for weeks and allegedly subjected to severe torture.

“The struggle that spearheaded by Sajjad Zaheer, Hasan Nasir and other comrades has not died yet,” said Advocate Akhtar Hussain.

“With the demise of Soviet Union, the world could not remain unipolar as it was being propagated. Now, the world sees that another alternative world is beginning to emerge against the hegemony of the capitalists,” he said.

“Our party owns everyone who strived for the poor and underprivileged and we call upon everyone working for the common cause to unite and launch a joint struggle.”

He said the days when Hasan Nasir was assassinated were extremely hard for communists and trade union activists. Gen Ayub’s regime had specifically targeted those cadres and spared no one to suppress a pro-people peaceful struggle.

“But, Hasan Nasir’s struggle has not died by his physical elimination. It will continue.”

The meeting adopted several resolutions in which they demanded action against the phenomenon of missing persons with specific mention to Wahid Baloch, a social worker and publisher, who has been missing for around four months.

Speakers demanded an end to the perpetual dominance of the “nexus of feudal and capitalist forces,” particularly the privatisation of the national institutions, contract system and reinstatement of the union rights of workers.

They also called for a uniform educational system and establishment of quality schools, colleges and universities by the government.

Besides, the participants demanded reduction in fee of private schools and restoration of long banned student unions.

In another resolution, the meeting participants called for releasing all ‘political prisoners’, end to discriminatory attitude against women and action against religious extremism and terrorism.

Speakers expressed their anger over the persisting delays in payment of compensation to families of the victims of Baldia factory fire incident.

They also sought financial assistance to families of the victims of the recent fire at the Gadani ship-breaking yard.

The organisers later played a brief visual report based on Major Ishaq’s book on Hasan Nasir’s death.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2016