Nazeer Abbasi role model
of Sindhi youth
By Sohail SangiNazeer Abbasi was youngest communist leader from Sindh who was tortured to death in custody on August 9, 1980 during Zia era. After Hassan Nasir, he was another communist leader who also died custody during Gen Ayub era.
Death and investigation:
His family claimed that there were 12 torture marks on Abbasi's body. He was 27 at the time of his death.
An FIR (First Information Report) was filed at Defence
Police Station Aug 17, 1980 against General Zia-ul-Haq and then governor Sindh
Lt Gen (retired) Abbasi, but later his family and friends came to know that
then Inter Services Intelligence chief for Karachi Brig (retired) Imtiaz was
involved in the martyrdom of late Abbasi. In early 1980s, Colonel Imtiaz who
was chief operator of the anti-communist operation in Karachi and elsewhere in Sindh province, as
later reports suggested.
After general elections of 1988 when Benazir Bhutto came into power, she issued
directives to the home department to probe the matter. But it remained mystery
and neither investigation was completed nor did any word come from the government
side.Nazeer Abbasi was president of the Sindh National Students Federation (SNSF) and a central committee member of the Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP) when he was arrested by Field Investigation Unit (FIU) from Karachi.
After 2008 elections when PPP was once again voted into power, the leftist from all over the country staged demonstrations and protest demanding probe in to the Abbasi death in mysterious circumstance. But this protest did not moved the PPP government.
Brig. Imtiaz himself admitted in a television interview in 2009 that he succeeded in eliminating communists from Pakistan but he claimed that Nazeer Abbasi died a natural death.
The question arises why his body was not handed over to his family and why he was buried in Sakhi Hasan graveyard in the middle of the night if he was not tortured to death? The news came out once his body was buried in Sakhi Hassan graveyard Karachi. for burial, but the newspapers were unable to publish the reason for his death because of strict censorship
Life and struggle
Born on April 10, 1952 Abbasi belonged to a lower class family of Tando Allahyar. His father Jan Mohammed was petito writer in his native town. He was first arrested as a in 1969, during the movement for the publication of the electoral voter lists in Sindhi language. After completing his intermediate education, he started worked as Octroi clerk at Municipal Committee Tando Allahyar, where he organized union of Municipal Workers. He came into contact with communist leader Dr Aizaz Nazeer in jail, which tunred him to become communist. Later he joined the Sindh University and got graduation in Political science.
During university life he joined Sindh National Students Federation, student wing of Communist Party of Pakistan. He remained general secretary and president of this students organization. In coming days he became member of Communist party and an important activist of Left.
Abbasi was arrested again in May 1978 by military during the dictatorship of Zia-ul-Haq and was sent to notorious prison Quli Camp Quetta. During that period many of the members of Sindh National Students Federation and Sindh Hari Committee were arrested from all over Sindh. Party secretary Jam Saqi was also arrested in 1978. In fact this was beginning of the end, which concluded in 1980 with crack down on communists of Pakistan.
Nazir was arrested again by the ISI Col Imtiaz Ahmed Billa from Karachi on July 30, 1980, along with Professor Jamal Naqvi, Sohail Sangi, Badar Abro Amarlal, Kamal Warsi and Shabbir Shar. Nazeer Abbasi was tortured to death on August 9, 1980. The rest of his comrades were tried in a military court in what came to be known as the Jam Saqi case. After Pindi Conspiracy case, this was second case against the Communist Party of Pakistan where in communists were alleged for a bid to over throw the government and introduce socialist system in the country. It is worth to mention that top political leadership of Pakistan including Benazir Bhutto, Wali Khan, Mir Ghous Bux Bezinjo and others appeared in military court and defence witness to defend Jam Saqi and his comrades.
Nazir was among those key political activists who used to visit rural areas of Sindh regularly and organise and educate peasants to resist displacement of peasants by local land-owners. Apart from participating in different peasants and labour movements he also actively participated in the Patt Feeder peasant movement of Balochistan in 1976.
Nazir Abbasi associated him self with down trodden classes and lived a principled life, neither he compromised on principles nor bowed before any pressure of pull. Hence he became role model of Sindhi youth.
