After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, many left-wing and progressive activists and intellectuals became inactive. Zaman Khan was not one of them. An old affiliate of Mazdoor Kisan Party (MKP) and one of the founder members of Awami National Party (ANP), Zaman Khan has kept alive his spark for political struggle and intellectual pursuits. At 73, he is still a prolific writer and commentator on social issues in both English and Urdu. He is also a peace activist and has conducted interviews with leading Indian journalists and academics.

Those interviews were compiled in a book titled Voices of Sanity: Harbingers of peace (2008). His new book under review is his collection of articles published in various newspapers in Urdu during the past decade. Normally, newspaper columns become out-of-date the very next day, but Zaman Khan’s writings have a much longer shelf life. With an introduction by Dr Jaafar Ahmed, the book presents 60 of his articles on diverse subjects ranging from human rights and other social issues to peace and politics.

Since Zaman Khan was also among those who founded the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) in 1986 and then Pakistan-India People’s Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) in 1995, his adherence to human rights issues and his longing for peace is evident from most of his articles. Not only that, his association with Joint Labour Action Committee has enabled him to understand labour issues in Pakistan and he has highlighted the problems of the labour force in his numerous columns. The first section of the book is solely devoted to human rights especially focusing on the issues of torture as a means of coercion by state institutions.

For example, he reminds the readers about the use of the Royal Fort in Lahore as a bastion of barbarity and brutality. He is right in pointing out that in the dungeons of the Fort, most of the victims of the state repression were progressive activists who were fighting for democracy and human rights in the country. Starting from Dada Ferozuddin Mansoor to the murder of Hasan Nasir there is a long list of political leaders and workers who bore the brunt of atrocities committed in the name of national security.

Zaman Khan attributes this to the historical background of the British-Indian army that mostly came from Punjab, as the colonial power was more interested in using this force against the local people. Since the British time various forts in India were used as torture camps for the opponents of the government. The Royal Fort was just one of the many such locations. After independence, almost all dictators, both civilian and military, kept using the Fort and the Zia Regime surpassed all limits of torture by even sending women prisoners to the Fort.

Some of his articles are about his travels to other countries such as Nepal where he met with the local Maoist leaders. He discloses an interesting fact that contrary to the common perception, the Maoists of Nepal were not supported by the Chinese communist government, in fact it was against the Nepali Maoists. The writer informs us that most Nepali intellectuals blame India -- and especially its first prime minister, Nehru -- for most of the problems in Nepal. They think that the agreement reached between India and Nepal after independence in 1950, made sure that the feudalism and monarchy in Nepal would continue and India accepted that.

The articles about the labour issues are very informative and inform us about the historical background of the labour movement in this region. In one of his articles the writer underscores the fact that when in the 1920s, All India Trade Union Federation was founded in Bombay (now Mumbai) its inaugural session was presided over by Jinnah. The largest industry in the western part of India was the railway industry in Lahore and the railway union was led by its president V V Giri and vice president, Mirza Ibrahim. He also talks about the Sutlej Cotton Mills in Okara, and the Lyallpur Cotton Mills.

Zaman Khan is sad at the treatment meted out to the people of Balochistan after independence. Despite repeated military operations, by the late 20^th century the situation in Balochistan was improving, and had it not been for the myopic and vengeful regime of General Musharraf, Balochistan would have been peaceful now. One tends to agree with the writer, as the events during the last two decades have shown that the more force you use and the more people you abduct and kill, the more resentment there will be, and the more rebellious the youth will turn out.

Zaman Khan is also a vocal advocate for the prisoners held in India and Pakistan who have either inadvertently crossed the border or have completed their terms but still languishing in jails. In addition to speaking for the prisoners, the writer also keeps protesting against the capital punishment that is not in line with the legal environment of the 21^st century. Some of his articles have also been focusing on an increasing number of lynching in the country. For example, he specifically cites the example of the two innocent brothers who were killed by an angry mob in Sialkot.

This collection of articles also serves as a reminder of the issues religious minorities have been facing in Pakistan. Right from the anti-Ahmadi riots of the 1950s to the anti-minority amendments to the Constitution in the last quarter of the 20^th century, there is a long list of injustices committed against religious minorities. This book is a good repertoire of articles concerning minorities in the country. Some of the pieces also cover international issues especially about Asia, Africa, and Latin America. In almost all his writings he is unequivocal about human rights and democracy.

Since Zaman Khan has been a close associate of many of the leaders in the Left-wing politics of Pakistan, he has written about some of his comrades such as Gulzar Chaudhary, Mirza, Ibrahim, Basheer Bakhtiar, Abdur Rahman, Altaf Baloch, Naseem Ashraf Malik and others. All these remained victims of both civilian and military governments in the country, and not only the political governments but also bureaucracy and judiciary has been merciless towards liberal, progressive, and secular-minded activists, intellectuals, and leaders of political parties. This onslaught, as highlighted by the writer, was compounded by the right-wing journalists.

A recurring theme in the book is the desire for friendly relations with neighbouring countries especially with Afghanistan and India. Like all peace-loving people of this region, Zaman Khan is a promoter of cordiality and friendship. He thinks that the past cannot and should not hold the present hostage for long. We have already suffered for over seven decades and it is about time that Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan, started living like family members who may have disagreements at times but hold the family together for the benefit of the family members.

Shehr-e-Aarzoo (collection of columns)
Publisher: Fiction House
Price: Rs500
Pages: 232