Jam Saqi

Jam Saqi, popularly known as Comrade Jam Saqi, is a left-wing politician from Sindh, Pakistan. He served as the general secretary of the Communist Party of Pakistan during his political career.

Early life and education

Saqi was born on October 31, 1944, in the village of Janjhi, located in Taluka Chhachhro within the Tharparkar district. He is the son of Muhammad Sachal, an educationalist and social worker in Thar. After completing his matriculation at Local Board High School in Chachro in 1962, he pursued higher studies. He attended Government College and Sachal Sarmast Arts College in Hyderabad. Saqi eventually earned a Masters degree from Sindh University, Jamshoro.

A retired primary teacher named Inayatullah Dhamchar introduced him to the underground Communist Party of Pakistan. This connection helped shape his early political leanings.

Career

Saqi emerged as a student leader and faced arrest following an incident on March 4, 1967. On November 3, 1968, he founded the Sindh National Students Federation (SNSF) to serve as a student wing for the Communist Party. He acted as the founding president of this organization alongside vice president Nadeem Akhter and general secretary Mir Thebo. His political work involved collaborations with figures such as Haider Bux Jatoi and G.M. Syed. In 1969, he joined the Sindh Hari Committee during the Sakrand Hari conference.

He served a sentence issued by a military court in the early 1970s. After this period, he joined the National Awami Party and was elected as its joint secretary. When military operations began in East Pakistan in 1971, his organization organized rallies against the military junta in Nawabshah and Hyderabad. He went underground during this time to organize youth and peasants across Sindh.

In 1983, Saqi faced trial in a special military court for allegedly acting against the ideology of Pakistan. This legal proceeding is known as the Jam Saqi Case or the Communist case. He was tried alongside Prof. Jamal Naqvi, Sohail Sangi, Badar Abro, Kamal Warsi, and Shabir Shar. High-profile figures including Benazir Bhutto and Khan Abdul Wali Khan appeared as his defense witnesses. Saqi remained a supporter of the anti-Zia MRD movement launched by political party alliances.

He left the Communist Party in 1991 to join the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Trotskyist group known as The Struggle. As an author, he wrote the novelet "Khahori Khijan" and a book regarding student movements titled "Sindh Ji Shagrid Tahreek." His court statements were also published in Urdu and Sindhi under the titles "Tareekh Moonkhay na wesarreendi" and "Zameer ke Qaidi."

Personal life

Saqi was married to Akhtar Sultana. During his lengthy imprisonment, which lasted more than 15 years, his then wife Sukhan committed suicide. This tragedy occurred after she read a newspaper report containing allegations of Saqi's death. He died on March 5, 2018, at the age of 73 due to kidney failure in Hyderabad. He was laid to rest at the Baban Shah graveyard.

Awards and recognition

In 2009, Saqi received a lifetime achievement award. This honor recognized his outstanding services for human rights and the betterment of working class conditions.