National Awami Party
Encyclopedia
The National Awami Party (NAP) 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 as 'nations' (as opposed to Islam as a nation) and a non-aligned foreign policy. It was the principal opposition party to the military regime for much of the late 1950s and mid 1960s. The party split in 1969 into two factions, the head of one faction remained in newly formed Bangladesh, while the remaining faction became the principal opposition party to the rule of Pakistan's Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. The party was outlawed by the Pakistani government in 1975 and much of its leadership subsequently imprisoned for alleged anti-state activities.
1 Defence of the sovereignty, integrity and independence of Pakistan.
2 Non-aligned
, independent foreign policy.
3 Ending of exploitation of Pakistan externally and its people internally.
4 Abolition of One Unit
and reorganisation of provinces on linguistic basis.
5 Right of adult franchise.
In July 1965, as the manifesto was amended after the party's re-emergence, the NAP declared that the system of government in the country should be based on the concept of people's sovereignty. The Party advocated the maximum provincial autonomy in a confederal
structure. Only Defence and Foreign Affairs were to be left with the 'Federal' government, while other powers were to rest with the autonomous units. One-Unit in West Pakistan had to be replaced by a "regional confederation where provinces would be created on linguistic lines". In foreign affairs the Manifesto asked for non-alignment and withdrawal from the military pacts SEATO and CENTO
.
After military dictator Ayub Khan, political parties were banned and the NAP faced a harsh crackdown from the Pro US Ayub Khan government. The NAP was regarded by some as a front organization of the Communist Party of Pakistan
, Hasan Nasir, the NAP Office Secretary, a card-carrying member of the Communist Party, was tortured to death in custody. Mirza Mehdy Ispahani (a.k.a) Sadri Ispahani was the treasurer of National Awami Party.
The party President was Maulana Bhashani and the Secretary General Mahmudul Huq Usmani. Afzal Bangash
was the NAP's General Secretary in NWFP.
At the end of 1967 the NAP split between Bhashani and Wali Khan factions, After a growing rift developed over, allegedly, Maulana Bhashani allegedly told his supporters to support Ayub Khan in the 1964 elections against the joint opposition nominee Fatima Jinnah
. In return he was supposed to have received payoffs and favours, a fact which he never contradicted. After the council session of the party held at Rangpur on 30 November 1967, NAP split into two factions branding themselves as pro-Chinese and pro-Moscow groups. In 1967 NAP formally split into the pro-Chinese National Awami Party (Bhashani) and the pro-Soviet National Awami Party (Wali)
., while the peasant wing of the party in the NWFP, led by Afzal Bangash
, formed a separate Mazdoor Kisan Party (MKP).
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
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...
. The party was founded in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
in erstwhile East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
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 as 'nations' (as opposed to Islam as a nation) and a non-aligned foreign policy. It was the principal opposition party to the military regime for much of the late 1950s and mid 1960s. The party split in 1969 into two factions, the head of one faction remained in newly formed Bangladesh, while the remaining faction became the principal opposition party to the rule of Pakistan's Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. The party was outlawed by the Pakistani government in 1975 and much of its leadership subsequently imprisoned for alleged anti-state activities.
Political ideology
The NAP set the following as its main aims:1 Defence of the sovereignty, integrity and independence of Pakistan.
2 Non-aligned
Non-Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. As of 2011, the movement had 120 members and 17 observer countries...
, independent foreign policy.
3 Ending of exploitation of Pakistan externally and its people internally.
4 Abolition 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...
and reorganisation of provinces on linguistic basis.
5 Right of adult franchise.
In July 1965, as the manifesto was amended after the party's re-emergence, the NAP declared that the system of government in the country should be based on the concept of people's sovereignty. The Party advocated the maximum provincial autonomy in a confederal
Confederation
A confederation in modern political terms is a permanent union of political units for common action in relation to other units. Usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution, confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues such as defense, foreign...
structure. Only Defence and Foreign Affairs were to be left with the 'Federal' government, while other powers were to rest with the autonomous units. One-Unit in West Pakistan had to be replaced by a "regional confederation where provinces would be created on linguistic lines". In foreign affairs the Manifesto asked for non-alignment and withdrawal from the military pacts SEATO and CENTO
Cento
Cento is a city and comune in the province of Ferrara, part of the region Emilia-Romagna . In Italian "cento" means 100.-History:The name Cento is a reference to the centuriation of the Po Valley...
.
Party formation and history
The NAP was along with the Awami League expected to easily win the 1959 planned general elections. Its primary target was the disbanding of the One Unit scheme in West Pakistan and a fair deal for the increasingly discontented people of East Pakistan.After military dictator Ayub Khan, political parties were banned and the NAP faced a harsh crackdown from the Pro US Ayub Khan government. The NAP was regarded by some as a front organization of the Communist Party of Pakistan
Communist Party of Pakistan
The Communist Party of Pakistan is a communist party affiliated with Communist Party of the Russia. Before the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the party had long association and ties with the Communist Party of the Soviet Union ....
, Hasan Nasir, the NAP Office Secretary, a card-carrying member of the Communist Party, was tortured to death in custody. Mirza Mehdy Ispahani (a.k.a) Sadri Ispahani was the treasurer of National Awami Party.
Constituent parties
The constituent parties in 1957 and their areas of influence were:- Azad Pakistan PartyAzad Pakistan PartyThe Azad Pakistan Party was a leftist Pakistani party founded in November 1949 by Mian Iftikharuddin, an ex-Congressite and a member of the Muslim League that founded Pakistan....
a party led by Mian Iftikharuddin,Syed Kaswar Gardezi and Mahmud Ali KasuriMahmud Ali KasuriMian Mahmud Ali Kasuri was a prominent Pakistani opposition politician, human rights advocate and lawyer...
.
- SindhSindhSindh 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...
Mahaz led by G. M. SyedG. M. SyedG. M. Syed was a political leader who pioneered the Jeay Sindh movement for the freedom of Sindh from Pakistan. He is regarded as one of the founding fathers of modern Sindhi nationalism...
and Sheikh Abdul Majid Sindhi.
- Sindh Hari CommitteeSindh Hari CommitteeThe Sindh Hari Committee was a leftist and Sindhi nationalist political organization in Sindh, Pakistan that sought to promote the interests of the haris of Sindh. It was founded in 1930 by G. M. Syed. In 1947, Hyder Bux Jatoi took over as president of the committee until his death in 1970. In...
led by Haider Bakhsh Jatoi.
- Wrore Pukhtun (Pukhtun Brotherhood) a BalochistanBalochistan (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...
-based party led by Abdul Samad Khan AchakzaiAbdul Samad Khan AchakzaiAbdul Samad Khan Achakzai was a Pashtun nationalist and political leader from Quetta, Pakistan. Known as "Khan Shaheed", he became the founder and head of Anjuman-i-Watan, Wror Pashtoon and Pakhtunkhwa National Awami Party...
and Hashim Khan Ghilzai.
- Usthman Gul (Awam Jamaat) of BalochistanBalochistan (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...
led by Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo, Gul Khan Nasir and Prince Karim KhanPrince Karim KhanPrince Agha Abdul Karim Khan Ahmedzai was the younger brother of Khan of Kalat , Mir Ahmedyar Khan, the last ruler of Balochistan. After the British left Balochistan on 13 August 1947...
of Kalat (princely state).
- Khudai KhidmatgarKhudai KhidmatgarKhudai Khidmatgar literally translates as the servants of God, represented a non-violent freedom struggle against the British Empire by the Pashtuns of the North-West Frontier Province....
from North-West Frontier ProvinceNorth-West Frontier ProvinceKhyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
led by Khan Abdul Ghaffar KhanKhan Abdul Ghaffar KhanKhan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was an Afghan, Pashtun political and spiritual leader known for his non-violent opposition to British Rule in India...
and Hakeem Mohammad Aslam Sanjari.
- Ganatantri DalGanatantri DalThe Ganatantri Dal was a socialist political party in East Pakistan . It was founded in 1952 by Haji Mohammad Danesh, a veteran communist activist of the Tebhaga movement. It became part of the United Front coalition under the leadership of A. K. Fazlul Huq, which routed the ruling Muslim League...
an East Bengali party led by Haji Mohammad DaneshHaji Mohammad DaneshHaji Mohammad Danesh was a Bangladeshi politician and communist activist.-Early life:Haji Mohammad Danesh was born to a Bengali Muslim peasant family in the village of Sultanpur in the Dinajpur district of what was then the Bengal Presidency of British India, and now a part of Bangladesh...
of DinajpurDinajpur District, BangladeshDinajpur is a district in Northern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Rangpur Division.- Geography :Dinajpur is bounded by Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts in the north, Gaibandha and Joypurhat districts in the south, Nilphamari and Rangpurdistricts in the east, and the state of West Bengal, India...
and Mahmud Ali of SylhetSylhetSylhet , is a major city in north-eastern Bangladesh. It is the main city of Sylhet Division and Sylhet District, and was granted metropolitan city status in March 2009. Sylhet is located on the banks of the Surma Valley and is surrounded by the Jaintia, Khasi and Tripura hills...
.
The party President was Maulana Bhashani and the Secretary General Mahmudul Huq Usmani. 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...
was the NAP's General Secretary in NWFP.
Party split
In 1958 and all political parties were banned. When Ayub allowed political parties again in 1962, the NAP was revived with all of its old components except the G.M. Sayed group and Ganatantri Dal.At the end of 1967 the NAP split between Bhashani and Wali Khan factions, After a growing rift developed over, allegedly, Maulana Bhashani allegedly told his supporters to support Ayub Khan in the 1964 elections against the joint opposition nominee Fatima Jinnah
Fatima Jinnah
Fatima Jinnah , was one of the figurative and pioneering woman figure in Pakistan Movement and was the younger sister of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. An active political figure in the movement for independence from the British Raj, she is commonly known in Pakistan as Khātūn-e...
. In return he was supposed to have received payoffs and favours, a fact which he never contradicted. After the council session of the party held at Rangpur on 30 November 1967, NAP split into two factions branding themselves as pro-Chinese and pro-Moscow groups. In 1967 NAP formally split into the pro-Chinese National Awami Party (Bhashani) and the pro-Soviet National Awami Party (Wali)
National Awami Party (Wali)
The National Awami Party was formed after a split between Maulana Bhashani and Khan Wali Khan ostensibly over Bhashani's siding with China and Professor Muzaffar Ahmed along with Khan Abdul Wali Khan sided with U.S.S.R in the Sino-Soviet split...
., while the peasant wing of the party in the NWFP, 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...
, formed a separate Mazdoor Kisan Party (MKP).
See also
- National Students FederationNational Students FederationNational Students Federation is a Left-wing students federation in Pakistan.Its predecessor, the DSF , had links to the Communist Party of Pakistan. It had power base among progressive students from Dow Medical and DJ Science Colleges. It dominated student politics in Karachi, the then Federal...
- Awami National PartyAwami National PartyThe Awami National Party is an Pashtun nationalist, socialist, centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International...
- Khan Abdul Wali Khan
- National Awami Party (Wali)National Awami Party (Wali)The National Awami Party was formed after a split between Maulana Bhashani and Khan Wali Khan ostensibly over Bhashani's siding with China and Professor Muzaffar Ahmed along with Khan Abdul Wali Khan sided with U.S.S.R in the Sino-Soviet split...
- Sherbaz Khan Mazari
- Saifuddin BohraSaifuddin BohraSaifuddin Bohra سيف الدين بوہرہ Son of Hassan Ali Adam Ji Bohra, in Quetta, Pakistan. He was the author of five books. Saifuddin Bohra was a political activist in the National Awami Party of Pakistan . He was an active worker and member of the Central Committee of the party...
- Abdul Hai BalochAbdul Hai BalochAbdul Hai Baloch is a politician from Balochistan, PakistanDr. Abdul Hai Baloch was the president of Baloch Students Organization student wing of the National Awami Party but reportedly under the influence of the Communist Party of Pakistan...
- Jam SaqiJam SaqiJam Saqi is a leftwing politician from Sindh, Pakistan. He was the general secretary of the Communist Party of Pakistan. Jam Saqi was imprisoned for more than 15 years because of his political activities...
- Baloch Students OrganizationBaloch Students OrganizationThe Baloch Students Organization, or BSO was founded in 26 November 1967 as nationalist student organization in Pakistani part of occupied Balochistan. The main objectives of BSO were to organize and educate Baloch youth politically for the liberation of Balochistan.It this time BSO is divided into...