Tribute to a comrade

The political Left and former Left came together on Monday, bridging its own internal discord, to pay tribute to former general secretary of the Communist Party of Pakistan Jam Saqi who passed away at the age of 74 in Hyderabad. Saqi had been suffering from multiple ailments for many years. His legacy however is a strong one, still able to untie and bring forward the now divided Left in Pakistan. Saqi had led the Communist Party for a prolonged period and was seen till the day of his death as a mentor of all those who shared such views. Aside from being a courageous political activist who spent over 15 years in jail, Saqi was also a poet and writer in the Sindhi language. In history, he will perhaps best be remembered for his strong stand against the One Unit rule in 1967 and later his struggle against military dictatorship. Under General Ziaul Haq he was convicted on charges of treason by a military court and spent eight years in jail. The chains draped around his shoulders during court appearances at the time became a symbol of oppression under the dictatorship.

Born in Tharparkar, Saqi had founded the Sindh National Student Federation – affiliated with the Communist Party in November 1968. He never abandoned his ideology, inspiring others to join in the stance for the rights of Haris, workers, peasants and other oppressed persons in Sindh and elsewhere. Saqi had joined the Pakistan People’s Party in 1993. At meetings he was known to have openly expressed his views even when they clashed with those of other leaders. He was also a council member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Condolence messages have come in from journalists, activists and others who admired his lifelong fight for democracy and rights even if they did not always agree with his ideology. In Pakistan’s narrowing political space leaders such as Jam Saqi have become virtually extinct. Saqi belonged to a time when ideology and commitment, rather than currency notes and a lust for power, dominated political work. That time has long passed. It is unlikely men like Jam Saqi will be replaced and for this reason his death is one to be mourned with even greater grief.