ISLAMABAD: A memorial reference in honour of Dr Hassan Nasir was held by the National Party (NP) Punjab on Friday, where his comrades paid rich tributes to his political legacy and commitment to left-wing political struggle.
The reference was attended by NP Secretary General Mir Kabir Muhammad Shahi, Senator Jan Buledi, MNA Phullain Baloch, veteran journalist Nasir Zaidi, Central Secretary for Women Yasmeen Lehri, Punjab President Ayub Malik, Sabira Islam, Shazia Khan, Dr Ubaid Usmani and other political activists and trade union representatives.
At the start of the event, participants observed a one-minute silence in his memory.
Speakers described Dr Nasir as a committed ideologue who remained firm in his ideas despite hardships. Dr Hassan Nasir, son of Aizaz Nazeer of the Communist Party of Pakistan, was named after the Marxist leader Hassan Nasir, who died in 1960 while in custody at Lahore Fort and is widely believed to have been tortured to death.
Raised in a progressive environment in Karachi, Dr Nasir inherited his Marxist outlook from his father. He earned a PhD from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, where he also led the student union for five years. After returning, he continued unionist politics, and his political career revolved around democracy, constitutionalism, and the rights of oppressed nations.
Dr Yasmeen Lehri said her political journey gained direction after encountering Dr Nasir’s vision. “Before that, my work in politics was limited. There was no broader horizon,” she added, noting that his emphasis on aligning ideological struggle with contemporary realities helped shape her thinking.
Shazia Khan said Dr Nasir combined political activism with a deep appreciation for literature and poetry. “He had profound knowledge of Urdu and Russian literature. I learned immensely through those interactions,” she said.
Veteran journalist Nasir Zaidi lamented that Dr Nasir did not live to see the realisation of his vision of a society where “the oppressed and subjugated could live with dignity, under justice and the rule of law.”
He said his association with Dr Nasir was rooted in labour activism, particularly in Multan, and recalled how he frequently spoke about the decline of trade unions and the need to revive them. “He would often refer to the 1960s and 1970s, when trade unions were vibrant and intellectuals worked alongside labourers to build a strong movement,” he said.
According to a speaker, Dr Nasir believed that the left in Pakistan failed to connect with local realities. “We tied our ideological struggle to global centres like the Soviet Union and China, but did not fully understand Pakistan’s objective conditions. That disconnect distanced us from the masses,” he said.
The NP Punjab chapter’s president also highlighted Dr Nasir’s personal integrity and simplicity, as well as his role in shaping labour politics and party-building efforts. “His entire life revolved around one question: how to create space in this state for oppressed classes,” he said.
Senator Buledi stressed that Dr Nasir did not view Marxism as a rigid doctrine but as a framework to be interpreted according to local conditions.
At the end of the reference, participants agreed that the most meaningful tribute to Dr Hassan Nasir would be to carry forward his mission and continue his struggle for democracy, equality, and a society where dignity is not a privilege but a right.
Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2026
