16, 1924 to October 28, 1986)
(Pashto: محمد افضل بنګش) was born , in Kohat, British India, and died , in Peshawar, Pakistan. He was a Pashtun marxist political activist serving as an office-bearer in the National Awami Party and later as the co-founder and president of the Mazdoor Kisan Party.
Early life and career
Mohammad Afzal Khan Bangash was born on April 16, 1924, in Kohat, British India. His father was Mohammad Akbar Khan Bangash, an advocate.
Afzal Bangash was one of the leading lawyers of NWFP and during Ayub Khan's rule he was offered the judgeship of the West Pakistan high court. He declined the offer, choosing instead to concentrate on pleading cases of peasants who were being evicted by Ayub's land reforms.
Bangash joined the Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP) soon after its formation in 1948 and became a member of its NWFP committee.
In 1957 he was elected as the first General Secretary of the National Awami Party (NAP). He was responsible for organizing the peasant committee in NWFP.
In the 1965 Pakistani presidential election, Bangash served as Fatima Jinnah's provincial chief campaign manager in her campaign against Ayub Khan.
In 1967 the NAP split, and Afzal Bangash along with other leftists who were active in peasant committees decided to follow the Wali Khan faction. However, The NAP leadership soon decided to bar Bangash and others from simultaneously working in peasant committees while being members of the NAP. As a result, they decided to leave the NAP and found the Mazdoor Kisan Party (MKP) on May 1, 1968. The MKP was to become the largest and most militant party with a Marxist orientation in the history of Pakistan. Although Bangash was recognized as principal leader of the MKP, he did not hold any official position until July 1979 when he was elected its president at the party's second congress.
As a trade union organiser, Bangash was founder-president of the Sarhad Trade Union Federation. He also edited the weekly MKP magazine Sanober
Early life and career
Mohammad Afzal Khan Bangash was born on April 16, 1924, in Kohat, British India. His father was Mohammad Akbar Khan Bangash, an advocate.
Afzal Bangash was one of the leading lawyers of NWFP and during Ayub Khan's rule he was offered the judgeship of the West Pakistan high court. He declined the offer, choosing instead to concentrate on pleading cases of peasants who were being evicted by Ayub's land reforms.
Bangash joined the Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP) soon after its formation in 1948 and became a member of its NWFP committee.
In 1957 he was elected as the first General Secretary of the National Awami Party (NAP). He was responsible for organizing the peasant committee in NWFP.
In the 1965 Pakistani presidential election, Bangash served as Fatima Jinnah's provincial chief campaign manager in her campaign against Ayub Khan.
In 1967 the NAP split, and Afzal Bangash along with other leftists who were active in peasant committees decided to follow the Wali Khan faction. However, The NAP leadership soon decided to bar Bangash and others from simultaneously working in peasant committees while being members of the NAP. As a result, they decided to leave the NAP and found the Mazdoor Kisan Party (MKP) on May 1, 1968. The MKP was to become the largest and most militant party with a Marxist orientation in the history of Pakistan. Although Bangash was recognized as principal leader of the MKP, he did not hold any official position until July 1979 when he was elected its president at the party's second congress.
As a trade union organiser, Bangash was founder-president of the Sarhad Trade Union Federation. He also edited the weekly MKP magazine Sanober
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