The history of leftist politics in Pakistan is rarely acknowledged and largely forgotten. What remains is a fragmented legacy, scarred by decades of brutal repression. From the country’s earliest days, leftist movements tried to carve out space among intellectuals, students and trade unions, only to face persistent state suspicion and hostility. The Communist Party of Pakistan, founded in 1948, was the first to sound the alarm. Within six years, it was banned, its members hunted, its presence buried. The charge? Conspiracy against the state. The truth? A challenge to elite supremacy. Even under pressure, leftist ideas survived. The Progressive Writers’ Movement became a key outlet, as did student groups like the Democratic Students Federation (DSF) and later the National Students Federation (NSF).

The 1970s offered a brief but hopeful respite. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) rose to power on a populist platform centred around the slogan of ‘Roti, Kapra, Makaan’ (Bread, Clothing, Shelter). The PPP postured itself as the voice of the people, but the mask slipped quickly. When confronted with a truly leftist force, the National Awami Party (NAP), which dared to demand socialism, secularism and provincial autonomy, Bhutto and the state did not hesitate. NAP was declared an enemy. Balochistan was militarised.........

© The Friday Times