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Zulfiqar Shah

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Zulfiqar Shah
Born (1977-01-01) 1 January 1977 (age 47)
Radhan, Dadu, Sindh
OrganizationThe Institute for Social Movements, Pakistan
MovementPeasants and National Rights Movement in Sindh(Sindh Peasants Long March for land Reforms in 2009)

Zulfiqar Shah (Sindhi / Urdu: ذوالفقار شاہ Hindi: जुल्फिकार शाह born Radhan, Dadu Sindh, Pakistan) is a peace and rights activist, political analyst, writer, columnist and social development professional hailing from Sindh province of Pakistan. Formally educated in Philosophy as well as Development studies, he is executive director of The Institute for Social Movements, Pakistan and editor of The Social Movements journal. Previously he was heading Sindh Province chapter of South Asia Partnership Pakistan (SAP PK). He has also served in University of Karachi as a Coordinator for National Institute of Excellence of Higher Education, a project by PEP Foundation, USA.[1] and Program Mnager with Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum.He has been engaged with the political and democratic rights activism and movements in Sindh since last two decades.

Activism

Shah was active part of child rights activism in Sindh during 1988–1994. Later on, he played an active role in the working class rights, national and ethnic liberties and democratic rights.[2][3]

During 2004-2006, he played an important role in strengthening coastal communities movement for livelihood, ecological and water rights of Indus River Delta region.[4]

He is vocal for secularism, civil democracy and rule in Pakistan with the minimized role of non-civil actors in the statecraft [5] and policies and always attempting to create peace[6] and ‘one Southasia’[7] constituency among the opinion makers and activists in Sindh.

Since 2006, he is organizing and actively advocating peasants’ rights movement in Sindh.[8] In February 2009, he organized and led Sindh Peasants Long March for the land rights[9] from Hyderabad to Sindh Assembly, Karachi that was participated by the thousands of peasants from across the province and was carried out for 12 days through 350 kilometers.[10][11][12] He has been staunch advocate for land reforms in Pakistan.[13]

Mr. Shah has been actively engaged in the civil society’s initiatives against enforced disappearances in Sindh and Baluchistan and victimization of peasants rights activists and agriculture labourers.[14] He, at various times, due to his bold stand and being vocal, has been persecuted by the various state and non state factors.[15][16] He was also part of the civil society peace initiatives for peace in South Asia, particularly between Pakistan and India.[17]

In the recent wave of extremist violence in Pakistan after the murder of Salman Taseer, a staunch leader of Pakistan People’s Party and Governor of Punjab, he along with many other civil society and peace activists initiated and strengthened peace activism in interior Sindh. He also facilitated and convened the Movement for Peace & Tolerance,Pakistan[18] that is engaging rural Sindh activists in the pro peace movement.[19]

The ‘Great Flood of Pakistan’ 2010 victimized beyond 7 million people from various districts of Sindh and more than 5 million people became internally displaced persons.[20] Shah along with other activists facilitated quick support regarding the medical relief in the 12 districts of Sindh.[21][22] Previously, he facilitated the rain floods of 2007 that almost inundated Hyderabad city, the second largest city of the province. He is also engaged in the flood victims and IDPs rights advocacy.[23]

Books & Publications

His research studies and papers include Indus Delta-An Environmental Assessment, Race and Ethnicity in South Asia, History of Sindhi Nationalism, and Roots of Jainism in Sindh besides many others. His books Indus Delta: An Environmental Assessment[24] and booklet Water, People & Protests[25] were published in 2005 and 2003 respectively.

Shah was editorial in-charge of Daily Kawish, the largest daily newspaper in Sindh from 1996 to 1998. He has contributed beyond a couple of hundreds columns, article and research papers in Sindhi and English language newspapers of Pakistan including daily Dawn, Karachi, daily The News, Karachi, weekly The Friday Times, Lahore, monthly Newsline, Karachi, daily Kawish and daily Ibrat, Hyderabad and The Social Movements.

Affiliation

Zulfiqar Shah is a coordinator of Sindh Agrarian Reforms Action Committee, Convening Person of Movement for Peace & Tolerance, Pakistan, member of Bangladesh Bharat Pakistan Peoples Forum, The International Institute of Strategic Studies, (IISS) UK and International Society for Philosophers, Sheffield University, UK.

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ Daily Dawn, Karachi August 14, 2009
  3. ^ Rally Pakistan: Discrimination over Right to Natural Resources
  4. ^ Daily The News, Karachi October 21, 2006
  5. ^ Rally Pakistan and Daily The News Karachi, OPED Pages
  6. ^ India PR Wire News Agency
  7. ^ The Indian News
  8. ^ Daily Dawn Karachi, December 6, 2008
  9. ^ [2]
  10. ^ Daily Dawn, Karachi February 16, 2009
  11. ^ Sindh Peasants Long March Video Clips: 1
  12. ^ Sindh Peasants Long March Video Clips: 2
  13. ^ Encounter Page, Daily Dawn Karachi, February 2008
  14. ^ Daily Dawn, Karachi August, 2009
  15. ^ Daily Dawn, Karachi September 2009
  16. ^ Rally Pakistan & Daily Dawn Karachi,OPED pages, March 2008
  17. ^ India PR Wire News Agency
  18. ^ Daily Dawn Karachi
  19. ^ Daily Dawn arachi
  20. ^ Himal Southasian, Nepal, October 2010
  21. ^ The Institute for Social Movements, Pakistan
  22. ^ Fishing the Money, Express Tribune, Karachi August 20, 2010
  23. ^ Daily Dawn, Karachi, September 8, 2010
  24. ^ Indus Delta: An Environmental Assessment Book Review: Books & Authors, Daily Dawn, Karachi
  25. ^ Brief Review - Water, People & Protest

See also

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