Meraj Muhammad Khan (Urdu: معراج محمد خان; October 20, 1938 – July 21, 2016),[3] was a well-known Pakistani socialist politician. He was noted as one of the key intellectuals and founding personalities of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and as a major contributor to the initial left of center/social democratic so-called Basic Programme of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He was also the founder of Qaumi Mahaz-i-Azadi which he founded after leaving the PPP in 1977.
In addition, he was a well-known and influential socialist figure in the country, and known for his political struggle and advocacy against anti-capitalist convergence and the support of the social democracy.[4]
After graduating from a local high school in Quetta in 1956, Khan moved to Karachi where he attended DJ Science College and later pursued his higher education at Karachi University in 1957.[5] He earned a BA degree in philosophy and humanities in 1960, and a master's degree in philosophy in 1962.[5]
Communism and PPP activism
Meraj Muhammad Khan came to public prominence in the 1960s while studying at Karachi University. During this time, there was a debating competition in which students from all the colleges in Karachi were participating.[7] At this competition, some activists of the Communist Party were sitting in the audience, who asked him to join the Communist Party after he won that debating competition.[7]
He became an active member of the National Students Federation (NSF), eventually becoming NSF's president in 1963. Khan turned the NSF into a militant student political organization that campaigned for the rights of students.[7] In 1967, he quit the NSF after secretly learning of a socialist convention being held in Lahore, Punjab.[7][8]
Meraj's radical leftist group was in direct competition against Law Minister Pirzada's Pro-Peking group. However, Meraj denied all accusations on TV.[9]
In 1973, Meraj fell out with the Bhutto government when Bhutto started to compromise on his so-called Socialist agenda and the regime resorted to repressive measures.[7] As time passed, his differences with Prime Minister Bhutto grew and he left the PPP to reorganize the NSF. However, Meraj fell into political isolation, never to regain his political credibility and popularity.[7]
Commenting on the PPP, Meraj later revealed that "the radical (leftist) rhetoric was more than a mask designed to win and retain power."[10] He once said: "Ali Bhutto was a great man ... but he could be cruel."[11]
Khan died at a local hospital in Karachi on July 21, 2016, at the age of 77. He had been hospitalized for a serious respiratory and lung problem for some time.[1][7]
