Mairaj Mohammad Khan
we still miss a rational analysis which is part of the problem.
In his article Mairaj’s legacy Naqi Sahib missed Miraj’s association and disassociation with PPP & PTI, neither he mention his politics from Oct 1999 till 2003. we still miss a rational analysis which is part of the problem. Will try to write on it. It neither minimize his struggle nor disappoint his admirers but a rational analysis always help friends to understand strengths, weaknesses, gapes and achievements which may help them in future in many ways.
Mairaj Mohammad Khan and Minhaj Barna were born in the home of Taj Muhammad Khan who was a a leading figure in twisted Khilafat Movement. Many writers mentioned his Pukhtoon decent which is a post 1971 patron. I remember a book written by a Hindvta supporter in which he claimed that Aryans were originally belonged to India so he penned the name of his novel as Return of the Aryans. since last two decades some Urdu speaking intellectuals are trying to search their decent in Pakistan but in many ways it is creating more problems. Is it another form of denial from their ''Hindu'' roots ? They cannot just ignore their last 3 to 500 years residence in Ganga Jamni tahzib. This deviation will confuse future generations but also add new false prides. It is better to amalgam in Sindhi culture rather then finding new horizons for identity.
Why we still reluctant to revisit anti Suez Canal movement? In Pakistan it was a critical time. At 29 October 1956 Israel invaded Egypt with the help of UK and France. In Pakistan first popular Bengali PM had just started his premiership. It was Hussain Shaheed Surawardy who became PM in September 1956. United State and USSR were not supporting Israel on that issue.
Nikita Khrushchev (1894-1971) railed against the invasion and threatened to rain down nuclear missiles on Western Europe if the Israeli-French-British force did not withdraw.
The response of President Dwight Eisenhower’s administration was measured...Eisenhower (1890-1969) also issued stern warnings to the French, British and Israel is to give up their campaign and withdraw from Egyptian soil. Eisenhower was upset with the British, in particular, for not keeping the United States informed about their intentions. The United States threatened all three nations with economic sanctions if they persisted in their attack. The threats did their work. The British and French forces withdrew by December; Israel finally bowed to U.S. pressure in March 1957 Link of the reference
Pakistan had neither no role nor any capacity to support anyone. Our old colonial master (UK) was with Israel while our new master (US) was against it. So it was the first test case of newly converted Pakistani elite. Mian Ijaz ul Hassan (Later a leader of PPP) told us in anINTERVIEW that he participated in a rare protest meeting against occupation of Suez Canal organized by teachers and students of Aitchison college , once a pride of colonial empire in our lands. Mian was a student at Aitchison. Islami Jamiat Talba too participated in it. Left leader Prof Aziz u din too participated in protest against Israel and told that even students of Government college Lahore were on roads that was a rare thing. As par Hussein Naqi, NSF in Karachi participated in protest against Israel and gathered in-front of PM house. Why they avoid Sikandar Mirza? At that time parliament had approved the first constitution just 6 month back. Sikandar Mirza was the powerful President and he smartly used that international event in local politics against H S Shurawardy. But we still use those events as some sort of achievement which looks strange in 21st century. Naqi Sahib is not alone in it but it is part of general left narrative. Naqi wrote, ''It became a popular student body when western powers attacked Egypt on the Suez Canal issue, and the NSF gave a call for protest. Spontaneous crowds of citizens joined the procession, as it was moving towards the prime minister’s house to protest against his statement endorsing the western powers aggression. By now Mairaj had entered the Sindh Muslim College.''
The other problematic fact is movement against Three Year Degree Course during Ayub times. Naqi sahib failed to deconstruct it too. In mid 1960s NSF was divided in Pro-Moscow and Pro-China sections but where was Khan? In an interview with Awami jumhori Forum Aleft journal, Comrade Tufail Abbas said that Miraj joined communist group of Tufail Abbas and under the instructions of the group he joined PPP. Later he left the group and became a Minster under Bhutto. He left PPP in mid 1970s and formed his own party Qumi Mahaz e Azadi. In between QMA and PTI (he joined PTI in 1998) he made and break alliances and mergers with numerous left groups. Multi billion question is his position at last martiallah of October 12, 1999. He fought against first military dictator from KPK who shifted the capital from Karachi to Islamabad, his opposition of 3rd dictator is also on the record but what went wrong when a dictator from Karachi imposed unconstitutional act? He was secretary general of the party and he remain part of Mushraff PTI negotiations? He stood against Z A Bhutto who was heading the first democratic government in Pakistan but he failed to stood against Mushraff why? Mr Naqi did not throw light but just ignore it. Arshad Butt , a veteran NSF and QMA leader left him in 2000, he can share his story. in between 2003 and 2015 he remained in negotiations with some left groups but could not mature it. A rational analysis is still missing regarding M M Khan but after his departure it depends largely on his comrades especially those who worked with him in NSF & QMA. Comrade Arshad Butt reply
Arshad Butt M M Khan regretted joing PTI and said he misjudged IK. According to M Khan joing PTI was wrong decision and greatest political mistake of his political life. His Close friends Kh. Saleem, Kh. jamil, Azhar Jamil and many others will confirm this. M Khan once said yo me "Arshad main nay aapnay saath tumhay bhi marwa dia" He repeated these Words last when I meet him 7 July this year. He was never happy his joining PTI. It took no time after joining PTI when started discussions about the revival of QMA, but it could not happen due to some practical reasons among them was his detoriating Health. There is lot to say on the subject but it would be discussed on some other platform .thank you A R Aamir Riaz TuTu
Why I left PTI...M M Khan
Mairaj’s legacy Husain Naqi July 31, 2016 Leave a comment Mairaj Mohammad Khan’s lifelong struggle will remain a welcome reminder for all those who want to see Pakistan emerge as a social participatory democracy
miraj moh khan
Miraj at MQM seminar about Quaid e Azam
KARACHI: Meraj resigns as PTI secretary-general
What Dr. Mubashir Hassan said and wrote was totally false regarding my resignation from PPP in 1970s
Leftists in Pakistan are just followers (muqaladins).
Miraj interview at Jawabdah recorded in 2009
Why infamous Zia offered Miraj to form a party of Mohajirs in late 1970s
Zia offered him to become Minister but he refused
Another interview of M M Khan with tricky Faisal Qureshi in two parts.(Part 1) uploaded in December 2011
PART 2 OF ABOVE INTERVIEW
6 parts long interview of Miraj Part 1 recorded in Jan 2011
Part 2 Bhutto period
same interview Part 3 Bhutto period
Part 4 Bhutto nationalization, resignation and other things. He resigned in October 1972
Part 5 Imran Khan will lose election 2013
Part 6
Meraj Khan decides to file defamation suit against Dunya TV
KARACHI: Ali Mukhtar Rizvi laid to rest
Riding the arrow: An ideological history of the PPP
KARACHI: Six-party alliance to work for true democracy
Smokers’ Corner: Exit stage left
