Hundreds attended the funeral of Dr.Lal khan

Marxist intellectual and left leader Dr. Lal Khan laid to rest

One of the most prominent Marxist ideologue- intellectual- columnist and left leader in Pakistan-Dr. Lal Khan was laid to rest in his native village Bhoon in Chakwal district. Hundreds of his comrades- friends and activists attended his funeral in Chakwal. He was passed away on Friday evening in Lahore.  He died after battling against lungs cancer more than a year.  

Leading Pakistani singer and chairman Brabri Party Jawad Ahmed fulfilled the last wish of Dr. Lal Khan and sung International after the burial. PPP Central Punjab general secretary and Lal khan’s longtime friend and comrade Ch. Manzoor also present in the funeral.

The comrades came from all over the country to pay their respect to a man who fought for equality- classless society and exploitation free society throughout his life. They pledge to continue the struggle for socialism in Pakistan for which Lal Khan spend his entire life.  He devoted his entire adult life for the struggle of working class and socialist revolution in Pakistan.

He was a committed Marxist- revolutionary socialist who always believed in the revolutionary ability and power of working class. He stood on his ground and advocated the socialist ideas among the youth and workers when many leading intellectuals and leaders embraced capitalist ideas. He convinced thousands of young people and workers on the ideas of revolutionary socialism in his entire life.   

He was also editor of his own newspaper The Struggle and wrote regular articles for English and Urdu language newspapers. He wrote nearly 25 books on different national and international issues and subjects. . In the 1970s, Khan was a medical student and a political activist in the country when the PPP government was toppled by Gen Zia’s military coup. He was elected president of Nishtar medical college student union in the mid-1970s in Multan.  

He was imprisoned for a year in Multan and then shifted to Rawalpindi medical college. He was badly injured in an attack in the college and was forced to leave the country. He moved to Netherlands in 1980 and during his time in exile, he graduated from an Amsterdam university. He returned to the country in 1988 and quit his profession as a doctor, in order to work full-time for the politics of Left. He was the leading member of the Struggle group.

The Struggle magazine advocates the ideas of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Trotsky and wanted a socialist transformation of Pakistan. He demanded the economy under workers control, an end to religious extremism and radicalism, eradication of unemployment and free health and education for all the people.

His death is a big blow to the left movement in Pakistan. His struggle and ideas will be remembered.                                                               

                                                                special correspondent