Lahore( by:G.M.Ghanjera) Two days before a memorial seminar was organized in honor of our great seraiki friend, teacher and intellectual comrade Ghulam Abbas Shakir (Late) at Haseeb memorial Trust Building at Lahore in chair of irfan mufti secretary Pakistan social forum. The speakers of the seminar were Zahid Islam,Faiz Rehman(president amnesty international Pakistan,G.M. Ghanjera, Mer Safder Ali,uzma Zareen,Nasreen Awan, and others .
Speakers expressed that comrade was born October 20, 1949 at behal Distt.Bhakkar. He did his matriculation from high school lal eisan Karore in 1965 and then joined Fecto sugar Mills darya khan.During his job he join local trade union and contributed a lot for the rights of laborers where he was victimize pathetically and w threatened many times by the administration of the mill to murder him, many attempts were made to achieved the target. Later on he joined Pakistan people party but soon was disappointed and join Mazdoor Kissan Party lead by maj.ishaq Muhammad.Friends asked him to join Ittehad chemical at mureed key (kala shah Kakoo) and assigned to organize labour union and party units. Where he did his utmost efforts to organize labour movement and his party.when MKP was divided in two factions he support imtiaz Alam group along with his many young political activists, but soon said faction was merged into Pakistan National party. During Zia military regime he left for Moscow on the advice of party leadership for further education in Marxism.
Unfortunately, when he came back party was shattered and all the comrades were dispersed. It was very crucial time not only for party workers but also for late comrade. He decided to start medical practice in his native village at behal to maintain his livelihood but could not run because of his political attitude. He came again Lahore and meet with his old friends, they advise him to join NGO,to maintain his livelihood because he was badly suffering during this period. He worked with Farrah Pervaiz Saleh for a few months and later joined South Asia Partnership, Pakistan. initially he was appointed in program partnership unit but soon was promoted as a coordinator of Governance unit, where he run successfully two programmes,democrat ic rights and citizen education program and democratic and human rights program. During this period he organized series of dialogues,seminars, workshops, rallies and press conferences through out the country for the empowerment of marginalize segments of the society especially women,minorities, oppressed nations, and peasants. He also organized District focal groups in 70 districts of Pakistan comprised on progressive political activists and intellectuals and contributed a lot for human rights and democracy, peace and promoter of peace and democratic values in Pakistan.
Abbas Shakir was also a seraiki poet, nationalist and intellectual, he was one of the founder members of seraiki Lok Sanjh.He initiated to publish first seraiki magazine” Parchool” along with Roshan malik ,Mansoor Aafaq and some other friends of seraiki wasaib from Mianwali and made great struggle for the uplifting ,promotion and identity of seraiki language. He wrote many articles on the seraiki national question and language.
After the collapse of Russia he was very disappointed but when process of world social forum was initiated he was very happy and again become active to organize the movements, he was fully involved to matured this process that why was appointed the coordinator of Punjab social forum. When world social forum was being held at India Bombay he worked day and night in Pakistan for the success of said event. This forum was attended by 50, 0000 people through out the world and comrade was one of them.
He also did his efforts to hold Pakistan social forum at Lahore where a large number of people participated the event from all over the country.
Last year when earth quick destroyed the whole life of northern areas he visited there but when came back he was not feeling well and was admitted in hospital but Doctors could not diagnosed his disease timely, when disease was identified then his condition was very worse and out of control. At last on 15, December 2005 he left us alone but his memories are still alive ………..i never forget his love ,passion and wisdom…..he was a genuine and true son of soil and I am proud of him.
Reported by :G.M.Ghanjera