Mazdoor Kissan Party
Encyclopedia
The Mazdoor Kisan Party ("Workers
and Peasant
s Party") was a communist party in Pakistan
.
(NAP) in Pakistan split into the factions of Maulana Bhashani and Wali Khan. The leftist members of the NAP, many of whom were active in a Peasant Committee, decided to follow the Wali Khan faction. Soon after, the leadership of the Wali Khan, being landlords, decided to put a ban on the Peasant Committee. The leftists, led by Afzal Bangash
, decided to leave the NAP rather than shut down the Peasant Committee and furthermore establish the MKP. On 1. May 1968, at a meeting in Peshawar
, the Mazdoor Kisan Party was formed with Afzal Bangash as leader and Sher Ali Bacha as the General Secretary.
and leftist groups in East Pakistan. In 1970 the Ishaque group merged with MKP.
The party's main focus was on the peasantry, inspired by the struggles of the Chinese, Vietnamese and African people. It achieved immediate success in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan, where spontaneous struggles between peasants and landlords were already taking place due to Ayub Khan's land reforms and imposition of farm machinery. The MKP provided the organisation and leadership needed by the peasant rebellion and in turn the movement gained tremendous following in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The movement was not only facing the private armies of the landlords but also attempts by the state to stop it by force. The fight continued through three governments: Yahya Khan
's military regime, the NAP-JUI government and the provincial government of the Pakistan Peoples Party
(PPP). Soon even the landlords belonging to the different parties banded together in the Ittehad Party in order to crush the rebellion.
The provincial NAP-JUI stood firmly behind the landlords in the struggle and, failing to get the central government to establish a ban on the MKP, tried to smear the party by putting forward the notion that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
had initiated the peasant movement. Still, the government of NAP-JUI fell and the MKP continued on, now facing the PPP.
One of the greatest clashes between the peasantry and the state took place in July 1971 at Mandani
. In a daylong pitched battle
an army of 1500 heavily armed policemen were routed with a casualty rate of about 20 peasants and party cadres. Another struggle took place at the end of the NAP-JUI government period. Around 8000 militia and Rangers were deployed in the Malakand Agency
in order to stop the MKP. During this time the party's vice-president Maulvi Mohammad Sadiq was assassinated.
The MKP ignored parliamentary and bourgeois forms of democratic struggle and did not participate in the general elections in 1970. It condemned military action against Bengalis during the emergence of Bangladesh
and at the same time struggled for the breaking up of One Unit
in West Pakistan
. The question of nationality in Pakistan was not addressed properly by the MKP, and it also failed to organise in the Sindh
and Baluchistan
. Still, the MKP had strong support among the peasantry of the Peshawar
and Mardan
districts, the Malakand Agency
and the former states of Swat and Dir. It also built support in parts of Hazara and Punjab
.
The first national congress of the party was held in May 1973 at Shergarh
in the Mardan District. Armed security guards were placed around the area, and a strike of bus owners was set off in order to prevent people from attending. This failed though as 5000 delegates, helped by disobeying drivers and MKP militants, attended the congress. An energetic debate took place during which Ishaque Mohammad was elected as president of the party and Sher Ali Bacha as General Secretary.
, demonstrating the grass-root support of the masses.
The aftermath of the March 1977 elections was one of frustration for the cadres of the MKP. The government was accused by the right-wing Pakistan National Alliance
(PNA) of rigging the elections, and the country was basically polarised between supporters and opponents of Bhutto. The MKP, as well as the rest of the left in Pakistan, was mostly powerless in this major crisis, crying out for civil liberties while at the same time labelling PNA as reactionary.
The MKP was further isolated when a number of leftist parties in Pakistan formed a coalition by the name of Awami Jamhoori Ittehad (People’s Democratic Alliance). The MKP, having increasing internal differences, did not join this alliance.
The internal differences mainly revolved around the question of the peasant movement in NWFP. The three disagreeing factions in the MKP were personified by Sher Ali Bacha, Afzal Bangash, Imtiaz Alam and Ishaque.
Finally in 1978, the MKP formally split up into three factions: One led by Bangash, taking most of the NWFP organisation and the party in northern Punjab. A second led by Sher Ali and Imtiaz, taking most of the cadres in Punjab and Karachi and a small number in NWFP (Sher Ali Bacha later separated himself from this faction, forming the Pukhtoonkhwa Mazdoor Kissan Party
). And finally a third led by Major Ishaque, which was supported by a small number of the party’s old guard in Punjab and a small amount of cadres from Karachi. Of these three factions, the one led by Afzal Bangash soon came to be recognised by the public as the MKP.Sher Ali Bacha was the first to coin the term Pukhtunkhwa for his party and in this way his inclination towards Pukhtun Nationalism became more obvious.Although one can argue that at this stage the entire Pukhtun Nation was oppressed and was the victim of the Federal Capitalism.
The unity congress was held in July 1979 at Mandan in NWFP. In spite of martial law restrictions, almost 5000 delegates participated along with observers from a wide range of parties. It was a historical congress and a huge step for MKP. The merging of the MKP and PWP signified a unification of the party having the largest peasant base with the party having the largest trade union base, making the MKP a true workers’ and peasants’ party. Resolutions and the political program implemented at the congress showed the maturity and realism of the new party, and also illustrated the potential of forging left unity.
The unity congress also elected Afzal Bangash as president of the MKP, Fatehyab Ali Khan as Senior Vice-President and Shaukat Ali as Secretary-General. Mirza Mohammad Ibrahim, a veteran labour leader, was elected to the Central Working Committee of the party. Pakistan Mazdoor Kisan Party was formally adopted as the name of the party.
A message of solidarity was also sent by Miss Benazir Bhutto
. All in all, the congress was an indication of the end of the political isolation of the MKP and the entry into mainstream politics, while keeping its distinct character.
capitalism and governance of bureaucracy were to be eliminated.
. The leadership was collective and political instead of individual and personal. The supreme body was the all-party Congress
which was held every four years. It determined the party line and program of action and also elected the central council, which functioned as the highest authority of the party in between congresses. The central council elected the members of the Central Working Committee and the office-bearers of the party.
Below the central council were the provincial branches of the party, which held their own Congresses and elected their own councils. The branches were in turn divided into districts and further into basic organisational units in towns and villages. In parts of the NWFP where the rural membership was very large, several committees got together to form a “Markaz” which carried out a coordinating role.
The members at each level were free to state their opinions on all issues, debate and criticise policies and conduct of leaders at all levels. Still, in the face of this criticism and self-criticism, it was a requirement that members maintained discipline and abided by the decisions of the majority. Also, the election at all levels of higher bodies by the relevant membership meant that although there was a flow of authority from top to bottom, the lower bodies had a great deal of autonomy.
Although the MKP had always been quite weak among the urban middle class groups it did manage getting a good number of members from amongst lawyers, journalists, college teachers and other white-collar professions.
The MKP had very little support among students although its own student wing, the Sarhad Students’ Federation did merge with the Pushtoon Students Organisation in Baluchistan (An affiliate of the PNAP) thereby forming the Pushtoonkhwa Students Organisation (PSO).
A separate front organisation for women was not created within the MKP. Still, many activists from the Women’s Action Forum were members or sympathisers of the MKP and the APTUF also had a strong women’s part.
The MKP had a great focus on political education. It published a large number of books,magazines and pamphlets.Sher Ali Bacha was the main editor of these magazines and papmphlets including the weekly “Sanobar” which was closed down in 1971 and the monthly “Circular” running from 1972 to 1978.
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
and Peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
s Party") was a communist party in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
Creation
At the end of 1967 the National Awami PartyNational Awami Party
The National Awami Party was a leftist political party in Pakistan. The party was founded in Dhaka in erstwhile East Pakistan in July 1957 through the merger of several leftist and progressive groups. It advocated provincial autonomy, rights on the basis of ethnicity, recognition of ethinicities...
(NAP) in Pakistan split into the factions of Maulana Bhashani and Wali Khan. The leftist members of the NAP, many of whom were active in a Peasant Committee, decided to follow the Wali Khan faction. Soon after, the leadership of the Wali Khan, being landlords, decided to put a ban on the Peasant Committee. The leftists, led by Afzal Bangash
Afzal Bangash
Muhammad Afzal Bangash was born on April 16, 1924 in Kohat, Pakistan and died on October 28, 1986. Son of advocate Muhammad Akbar Khan Bangash, he was a Pashtun marxist political activist serving as the president of Pakistan Mazdoor Kisan Party, and also as an officebearer in the National Awami...
, decided to leave the NAP rather than shut down the Peasant Committee and furthermore establish the MKP. On 1. May 1968, at a meeting in Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
, the Mazdoor Kisan Party was formed with Afzal Bangash as leader and Sher Ali Bacha as the General Secretary.
Early History
The MKP soon started to work together with several factions in Pakistan including the Major Ishaque Mohammad group in PunjabPunjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
and leftist groups in East Pakistan. In 1970 the Ishaque group merged with MKP.
The party's main focus was on the peasantry, inspired by the struggles of the Chinese, Vietnamese and African people. It achieved immediate success in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan, where spontaneous struggles between peasants and landlords were already taking place due to Ayub Khan's land reforms and imposition of farm machinery. The MKP provided the organisation and leadership needed by the peasant rebellion and in turn the movement gained tremendous following in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The movement was not only facing the private armies of the landlords but also attempts by the state to stop it by force. The fight continued through three governments: Yahya Khan
Yahya Khan
General Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan Qizilbash, H.Pk, HJ, S.Pk, psc was the third President of Pakistan from 1969 to 1971, following the resignation of Ayub Khan...
's military regime, the NAP-JUI government and the provincial government of the Pakistan Peoples Party
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...
(PPP). Soon even the landlords belonging to the different parties banded together in the Ittehad Party in order to crush the rebellion.
The provincial NAP-JUI stood firmly behind the landlords in the struggle and, failing to get the central government to establish a ban on the MKP, tried to smear the party by putting forward the notion that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1973 to 1977, and prior to that, 4th President of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973. Bhutto was the founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party — the largest and most influential political party in Pakistan— and served as its chairman until his...
had initiated the peasant movement. Still, the government of NAP-JUI fell and the MKP continued on, now facing the PPP.
One of the greatest clashes between the peasantry and the state took place in July 1971 at Mandani
Mandani
Mandani is a town and union councilin Charsadda District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.Mandani is located at 34°20'46N 71°47'10E and has an altitude of 376 metres....
. In a daylong pitched battle
Pitched battle
A pitched battle is a battle where both sides choose to fight at a chosen location and time and where either side has the option to disengage either before the battle starts, or shortly after the first armed exchanges....
an army of 1500 heavily armed policemen were routed with a casualty rate of about 20 peasants and party cadres. Another struggle took place at the end of the NAP-JUI government period. Around 8000 militia and Rangers were deployed in the Malakand Agency
Malakand Agency
The Malakand Agency was one of the Tribal Areas in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan until 1970. It included the princely states of Chitral, Dir and Swat, and an area around the Malakand Fort known as the Malakand Protected Area.In 1970, following the abolition of the princely states,...
in order to stop the MKP. During this time the party's vice-president Maulvi Mohammad Sadiq was assassinated.
The MKP ignored parliamentary and bourgeois forms of democratic struggle and did not participate in the general elections in 1970. It condemned military action against Bengalis during the emergence of Bangladesh
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
and at the same time struggled for the breaking up of One Unit
One Unit
One-Unit was the title of a scheme launched by the federal government of Pakistan to merge the four provinces of West Pakistan into one homogenous unit, as a counterbalance against the numerical domination of the ethnic Bengalis of East Pakistan...
in West Pakistan
West Pakistan
West Pakistan , common name West-Pakistan , in the period between its establishment on 22 November 1955 to disintegration on December 16, 1971. This period, during which, Pakistan was divided, ended when East-Pakistan was disintegrated and succeeded to become which is now what is known as Bangladesh...
. The question of nationality in Pakistan was not addressed properly by the MKP, and it also failed to organise in the Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
and Baluchistan
Balochistan (Pakistan)
Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...
. Still, the MKP had strong support among the peasantry of the Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
and Mardan
Mardan
Mardan , known as The city of hospitality, is a city and headquarters of Mardan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. It is the de facto headquarters of the Yousafzai tribe and the second most populous city in the province, located at 34°12'0N 72°1'60E and an altitude of in the south...
districts, the Malakand Agency
Malakand Agency
The Malakand Agency was one of the Tribal Areas in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan until 1970. It included the princely states of Chitral, Dir and Swat, and an area around the Malakand Fort known as the Malakand Protected Area.In 1970, following the abolition of the princely states,...
and the former states of Swat and Dir. It also built support in parts of Hazara and Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
.
The first national congress of the party was held in May 1973 at Shergarh
Shergarh, Pakistan
Shergarh is an historic town, union council and major administrative subdivision of Depalpur Tehsil, Okara District.- History :Sher Garh is one of the most historic towns of the district, along with Haveli Lakha, Hujra Shah Muqeem, Basir Pur, Depalpur & Satghara among others...
in the Mardan District. Armed security guards were placed around the area, and a strike of bus owners was set off in order to prevent people from attending. This failed though as 5000 delegates, helped by disobeying drivers and MKP militants, attended the congress. An energetic debate took place during which Ishaque Mohammad was elected as president of the party and Sher Ali Bacha as General Secretary.
Elections and internal differences
As in 1970, the MKP did not participate in the general elections of 1977, although it had good prospects. Instead it held the slogan of "Intikhab Naheen, Inqilab" (Revolution, not elections) and organised mass rallies following a relaxation of political restrictions. Around 50000 participated in Peshawar and 30000 in ShergarhShergarh
Shergarh is a town and a nagar panchayat in Bareilly district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.It is a small town known for rice and sugarcane.-Demographics:...
, demonstrating the grass-root support of the masses.
The aftermath of the March 1977 elections was one of frustration for the cadres of the MKP. The government was accused by the right-wing Pakistan National Alliance
Pakistan National Alliance
The Pakistan National Alliance was a nine-party alliance in Pakistan, formed in 1977 in which the alliance agreed to run as a single bloc to overthrow the rule of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the first elected leader of that country. It was a major and largest alliance formed against...
(PNA) of rigging the elections, and the country was basically polarised between supporters and opponents of Bhutto. The MKP, as well as the rest of the left in Pakistan, was mostly powerless in this major crisis, crying out for civil liberties while at the same time labelling PNA as reactionary.
The MKP was further isolated when a number of leftist parties in Pakistan formed a coalition by the name of Awami Jamhoori Ittehad (People’s Democratic Alliance). The MKP, having increasing internal differences, did not join this alliance.
The internal differences mainly revolved around the question of the peasant movement in NWFP. The three disagreeing factions in the MKP were personified by Sher Ali Bacha, Afzal Bangash, Imtiaz Alam and Ishaque.
- Sher Ali Bacha argued that in many areas the tenants had become capitalists, as a result of the success of NWFP, and had in turn developed an antagonistic contradiction with the rural labourers they hired. The party should therefore lead the labourers in their confrontation with the tenants. He called for a direct socialist revolution.
- Afzal Bangash also recognised that new contradictions had erupted, but did not see them as antagonistic. He furthermore criticised the rhetoric of immediate socialist revolution as both infantile and Trotskyite.
- In the Punjab section of the party Imtiaz Alam, along with some younger elements of the party, objected to Ishaque’s stance on the national question, and an alleged dogmatism of his. He also accused Bangash of dawdling on said questions, and furthermore making an unprincipled alliance with Ishaque.
Finally in 1978, the MKP formally split up into three factions: One led by Bangash, taking most of the NWFP organisation and the party in northern Punjab. A second led by Sher Ali and Imtiaz, taking most of the cadres in Punjab and Karachi and a small number in NWFP (Sher Ali Bacha later separated himself from this faction, forming the Pukhtoonkhwa Mazdoor Kissan Party
Pukhtoonkhwa Mazdoor Kissan Party
The Pukhtoonkhwa Mazdoor Kissan Party was a Pushtun nationalist political party in Pakistan. It was formed by Sher Ali Bacha in 1979, as a split from the Maoist Mazdoor Kisan Party. In 1989 the party merged into the Pukhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party....
). And finally a third led by Major Ishaque, which was supported by a small number of the party’s old guard in Punjab and a small amount of cadres from Karachi. Of these three factions, the one led by Afzal Bangash soon came to be recognised by the public as the MKP.Sher Ali Bacha was the first to coin the term Pukhtunkhwa for his party and in this way his inclination towards Pukhtun Nationalism became more obvious.Although one can argue that at this stage the entire Pukhtun Nation was oppressed and was the victim of the Federal Capitalism.
Unity Congress
After the split Bangash was elected as leader of the MKP and he quickly joined the Awami Jamhoori Ittehad. The coalition provided dialogue and accommodation between the various leftist groups although bitter disagreements were present. Eventually the MKP and Pakistan Workers’ Party (PWP) decided to merge and reduce their votes in the coalition from two to one. This unification was announced at the second congress of the party, the "unity congress".The unity congress was held in July 1979 at Mandan in NWFP. In spite of martial law restrictions, almost 5000 delegates participated along with observers from a wide range of parties. It was a historical congress and a huge step for MKP. The merging of the MKP and PWP signified a unification of the party having the largest peasant base with the party having the largest trade union base, making the MKP a true workers’ and peasants’ party. Resolutions and the political program implemented at the congress showed the maturity and realism of the new party, and also illustrated the potential of forging left unity.
The unity congress also elected Afzal Bangash as president of the MKP, Fatehyab Ali Khan as Senior Vice-President and Shaukat Ali as Secretary-General. Mirza Mohammad Ibrahim, a veteran labour leader, was elected to the Central Working Committee of the party. Pakistan Mazdoor Kisan Party was formally adopted as the name of the party.
A message of solidarity was also sent by Miss Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
. All in all, the congress was an indication of the end of the political isolation of the MKP and the entry into mainstream politics, while keeping its distinct character.
The party’s role after Unity Congress
The MKP played a fundamental role in the popular struggle against the military regime of General Zia ul-Haq. In early 1981, it had a significant role in forming the united front called Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD). The MKP also attracted other leftist groups, and was merged with the Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), Surkh Parcham Mahaz-Punjab Jamhoori Front (PJF) and Mutehda Mazdoor Mahaz in Punjab. Much of the character of the MKP was owed to the contributions of parties and organisations merging with it.Political program
The following political program was adopted at the unity congress in 1979. Overall the MKP called for the establishment of a “people’s democratic” system in Pakistan which would eventually lead to socialism. The class contradiction in its view was fundamental to other political contradictions. The ideal system was defined as one in which power was held by workers, peasants, patriotic sections of the intelligentsia, nationalistic entrepreneurs and small traders. Imperialist domination, compradorComprador
Comprador or Compradore is a term used to describe native managers of European business houses in East Asia.-History:...
capitalism and governance of bureaucracy were to be eliminated.
- State and government: Pakistan should be a federation brought about by the voluntary and equal association of the provinces which should enjoy complete autonomy in their own affairs. It should be a democratic state in which people will exercise power through the revolutionary party and through elected assemblies.
- Economy: The current neo-colonial, dependent capitalist system with vestiges of feudal-type relations should be abolished, imperialist domination of the economy ended and a re-orientation of the economy towards real growth, independent development, self-sufficiency, self-reliance and genuine progress should be employed. The state should take a leading role in economic development including nationalisation of the enterprises owned by comprador and pro-imperialist capitalists and management of socialised industry by representative committees of workers. Excess land taken from big land-owners should be distributed free among the local landless and poor peasants.
- National question: National inequality and oppression should be eliminated. Different nationalities and ethnic groups should be given equal rights and every child should be allowed an education in his/her native tongue.
- Culture: The popular cultural heritage must be protected and promoted. The current imperialist, feudal and doctrinaire cultural influence should be rooted out.
- Fundamental rights: All citizens shall have freedom of religion, freedom of expression and freedom of press, regardless of their race, gender or nationality. Vested interests shall not be allowed to exploit the name of Islam to oppress the masses, obstruct progress or instigate communal hatred.
- Women: No position should be closed to women. They shall have equal rights with men and be allowed to participate in the development and defence of the country.
- Foreign policy: Pakistan shall support the struggles against imperialism, Zionism and racism. Closer relations with the socialist countries should be developed for mutual advantage. Cooperation with other third world countries for establishing a new international economic order. Support for disarmament and world peace.
Internal structure
The MKP was organised according to the principle of democratic centralismDemocratic centralism
Democratic centralism is the name given to the principles of internal organization used by Leninist political parties, and the term is sometimes used as a synonym for any Leninist policy inside a political party...
. The leadership was collective and political instead of individual and personal. The supreme body was the all-party Congress
Party Congress
A party congress is a general conference of a political party. The congress is attended by delegates who represent the party membership. In most parties the party congress is the highest decision making body of the organisation and elects the party's leadership bodies such as the National Executive...
which was held every four years. It determined the party line and program of action and also elected the central council, which functioned as the highest authority of the party in between congresses. The central council elected the members of the Central Working Committee and the office-bearers of the party.
Below the central council were the provincial branches of the party, which held their own Congresses and elected their own councils. The branches were in turn divided into districts and further into basic organisational units in towns and villages. In parts of the NWFP where the rural membership was very large, several committees got together to form a “Markaz” which carried out a coordinating role.
The members at each level were free to state their opinions on all issues, debate and criticise policies and conduct of leaders at all levels. Still, in the face of this criticism and self-criticism, it was a requirement that members maintained discipline and abided by the decisions of the majority. Also, the election at all levels of higher bodies by the relevant membership meant that although there was a flow of authority from top to bottom, the lower bodies had a great deal of autonomy.
Mass base
The primary mass base of the MKP was the peasantry of NWFP and the organised workers of Punjab. The peasants were mostly directly members of the party while the workers were organised through other organisations affiliated with the MKP. The main worker mass organisation was the All Pakistan Trade Union Federation (APTUF) led by Mirza Ibrahim. Mirza Ibrahim was himself a member of the MKP’s Central Working Committee. The APTUF was the largest trade union federation in Pakistan and thus contributed greatly to the MKP.Although the MKP had always been quite weak among the urban middle class groups it did manage getting a good number of members from amongst lawyers, journalists, college teachers and other white-collar professions.
The MKP had very little support among students although its own student wing, the Sarhad Students’ Federation did merge with the Pushtoon Students Organisation in Baluchistan (An affiliate of the PNAP) thereby forming the Pushtoonkhwa Students Organisation (PSO).
A separate front organisation for women was not created within the MKP. Still, many activists from the Women’s Action Forum were members or sympathisers of the MKP and the APTUF also had a strong women’s part.
The MKP had a great focus on political education. It published a large number of books,magazines and pamphlets.Sher Ali Bacha was the main editor of these magazines and papmphlets including the weekly “Sanobar” which was closed down in 1971 and the monthly “Circular” running from 1972 to 1978.
External links
- Afzal Bangash Speaks: Class Struggle, Not a Tribal War, Pakistan Forum, Vol. 2, No. 9/10 (Jun. - Jul., 1972), pp. 14-18. Published by: Middle East Research and Information ProjectMiddle East Research and Information ProjectThe Middle East Research and Information Project is a non-profit independent research group established in 1971, that has released reports and position papers on various Middle East conflicts...
- Interview Ishaque Mohammad, Ishaque Mohammad and Feroz Ahmed, Pakistan Forum, Vol. 3, No. 1 (Oct., 1972), pp. 5-9, Published by: Middle East Research and Information ProjectMiddle East Research and Information ProjectThe Middle East Research and Information Project is a non-profit independent research group established in 1971, that has released reports and position papers on various Middle East conflicts...
- Progressive Movements in Pakistan Collection