Scion of an aristocratic family of Hyderabad, Deccan, Hasan Nasir was a student at the Cambridge University in England, when he came under the influence of the communist party, which had a vibrant presence in the academia of UK during the post WW II period.
According to a senior friend, he was on his way to England, when his steamship stopped in Karachi. He went on shore to meet progressive friends, who persuaded him to stay in Karachi. According to party sources, he was sent by the CPI as assistant to Sajjad Zaheer, who took over as the secretary general of the party in Pakistan.
The CPP was implicated in in the so called Pindi conspiracy case of 1951. besides army, navy and air force officers, Sajjad Zaheer, Faiz Sahib, Hasan Nasir and a few journalists were arrested. Faiz sahib wrote some of his best poetry in Hyderabad Sind jail. According to CPP sources, the conspiracy was a very half baked affair. Some army officers, in their cups, boasted of their plans to intelligence officers. They were picked up and to make the affair credible, the CPP was hauled in.
The titular leader of the conspiracy was one general Akbar Khan, who was disgruntled with the governments Kashmir policy. I met him in Karachi in 1956-57. He was such a vacuuous person, I am glad the conspiracy did not succeed. PM Liaquat Ali Khan had been besieged by the landowners (he had left his estate in India). Suhrawardy and Fazal haq from East Pakistan were snapping at his heels. He made much of the conspiracy, made a very emotional speech and gained high stature and acceptance, so far denied him, because he had been so much in the shadow of Jinnah. It is believed that he meant to use his newly acquired standing to get the Constituent Assembly to pass a constitution and hold elections. He was conveniently assassinated.
Pandit Nehru apparently interceded on behalf of Sajjad Zaheer and Hasan Nasir. they were released, Sajjad Zaheer went back to India, while his mother took Hasan Nasir to Switzerland. Hasan Nasir returned to Pakistan and took over as the secretary general of CPP. He also organized the National Awami Party of Maulana Bhashani and Wali Khan The following is from my book, “Across Three continents”: “Hasan Nasir went underground when Ayub Khan took over and suppressed all political activities and freedom of expession. He spent a part of his underground time in the home of the foreign secretary whose daughters were said to be in love with him. He had truly declassed himself.
Wadood (a highly respected student leader) once asked me to accompany him, in a rather mysterious fashion, to an out the way locality in the town. We met Hasan Nasir who had spent the previous night sleeping on the footpath. I must say he did not look any worse for it. He was eventually arrested.
It was widely believed at the time that he was betrayed to the police by a close and trusted associate, a journalist in the higher ranks of the party. He was tortured to death in Lahore Fort. He was only thirty-two.
Faiz, arguably the most renowned Urdu poet and unarguably the leading progressive muse in the language in the twentieth century, wrote a beautiful elegy for him. I quote a verse Kaun Hota Hai hareefe-e-mai mard afghane ishq Hai mukarrar ye sila labe saqi pe mere baad Transliterated it means that who will carry the emblem of defiance after me).
It was November 13, we were in the midst of a Fete to raise funds for DOW Medical college, when the news of his asassination broke. Sher Afzal broke down. That reminds me of an anecdote. The secretary general of the communist party of the USA while addressing a secret politburo session started “Comrades” and after a pause added “members of the FBI”.
A judicial luminary and erstwhile votary of Benazir’s PPP of told me recently that security agencies had their men in the highest councils of the party and were fully briefed on all discussions. Hasan Nasir had managed to exclude the agents from two or three meetings. Interrogators insistently asked him about them. His only response was Bako Mat (Don’t talk rubbish), don’t talk rot.
Ibrahim Sajid Malick is a Pakistani-American writer, technologist, and social entrepreneur. He has been writing on Pakistani society and politics since 1986. He has held several media, communications, and technology positions for organizations large and small. Mr. Malick graduated from New School for Social Research with a master’s degree in anthropology. He holds several technology and management certifications. He works for a leading technology firm and blogs at www.ibrahimsajidmalick.com
I didn’t even know there was a communist party in pakistan. what happened to them? why do we only have islamists roaming around now. how come no one knows about hassan nasir?
It is a sin to observe death annivarsary of someone who was not a Muslim. As per all the records Hassan Nasir was an Indian communist who had infiltrated Pakistan to wreak havoc. Alongwith some other low lives he was able to convince some lost Pak army officers to attempt a coup. He killed himself in jail.
Please correct yourself.
The beauty of love and sacrifice has always been vilified by those ordinary minds who chose to sell their souls for a few bucks. I really do not know Hassan Nasir but the fact that he was tortured and murdered by those who committed genocide of Bengalis and continue to oppress Pakistanis, tells me that the oppressors were threatened by him.
Fareed Khan: There not only existed a Communist Party in Pakistan, but a very vibrant leftist movement at the level of the masses, the students and intellectuals. In fact there still exists a Communist Party and its various splinters. You can read more here: http://reddiarypk.wordpress.com/
and
http://www.prmpakistan.org/
And on the second part of your question, as to why only Islamists are roaming around, well, America through its lackeys, in Pakistan that being the Army and religious parties, especially Jamaat Islami drained the country of even the last reminiscences of progressive level. This diabolical agenda was pursued at the state level by Army and Jamaat Islami, and even on the global level by other US-lackeys that posed as political Islamist groups like Ikhwaan-ul-Muslimoon in Egypt, Jamaya Islamiya Indonesia etc. In fact this whole phenomenon of political Islamism in its manifest form is very much a child of the evil US mind that went producing and co-opting these people across the globe. And just see around you for where have we ended up today!
The Pakistanis though believe that they are very aware nation but the fact is contrary to that. Being a communist does not mean that one is non muslim. Commune is a word withthe following meanings
Commune (intentional community), a community in which resources are shared
Commune (socialism), a leftist model for society
Commune (card game), a poker-based bluffing game
Commune FC, a football club in Burkina Faso
Commune (documentary), a 2005 documentary
Commune (administrative division), a township or municipality
French commune, a French municipality
Italian commune (it: comune) an Italian municipality
Romanian commune (ro: comună) a Romanian rural municipality
Communes in Switzerland, Swiss municipalities, particularly in French- or Italian-speaking areas
communist is one who believes in Communism and communism is about a society where resources are shared
now a communist can be a muslim, or non muslim or non believer but being a communist does not mean that one is non believers
in the wake of our ferocious beliefs regarding Islam we say whatever we want to and we killanyone asking heaven in return and do not mind even taking aid from India to promote Islam.
I do not see any musalman getting up and raising finger on Nabi pak (SAW) when Hazrat Abutalib was giving away his life in th lap F Nabi pak ( SAW) that he is letting a kafir no doubt his beloved uncle in his lap.. however when it came to Abdullah bin Abi every muslaman sttod up and raised voice agianst letting Nabi pak (SAW) lead his namaz e jinazah or even lending his shirt for bin abi coffen
Cant we see how bada munafiq is hel in a muslim society
Hassan Nisar was made to die unconstitionally I do not know of his believes but in a Islamic Republic no one can suffer such a death and to remember him on his day of death every year is not making him a hero but condemningthe acts of modern day namroods and pharooh and abu jehl
hope I make my point clear
How can I contact you. Please email me or contact me here:
http://sajshirazi.blogspot.com/2009/11/pakistan-top-blogs-and-bloggers.html
Thanks
The present chaos and fast growing degeneration ,again and again justifies ,a call for a vibrant ,strong communist party movement in pakistan ,otherwise this country is last to the brutes and wolves at large .
The comments on 14 Nov 2009 by musalman are insensitive & who doesnt know what he is talking about. You are an idiot when you pass such comments without knowing all the facts