Rasul Bux Palejo

Rasool Bux Palijo (Sindhi, رسول بخش پليجو; 21 February 1930 – 7 June 2018) was a Pakistani leftist, Marxist leader, scholar and writer.

He was a leading human-rights lawyer and the leader and founder of Awami Tahreek, a progressive and leftist party.

Rasool Bux Palijo was born in the village Mungar Khan Palijo, Jungshahi, Sindh on 21 February 1930, to Ali Mohammad Palijo and Laadee Bai.

He received his early education at his village and the secondary education at Sindh Madressatul Islam in Karachi.

Palijo did his law graduation from Sindh Law College Karachi.

He was fluent in Sindhi, Urdu, and English, and later became conversant in Hindi, Arabic, Balochi, Bengali, Punjabi and Persian.

A prolific writer and scholar, Palijo served as a Supreme Court lawyer.

He was jailed under political charges for more than 11 years especially during the Movement for Restoration of Democracy (MRD) in Pakistan.

He founded Awami Tahreek, Sindhi Haree Committee, Sindhiani Tahreek, Sindhi Shagird Tahreek, Sindhi Haree Tahreek, Pakistan Awami Jamhoori Ittehad, Pakistan Awami Tehreek, Sindhi Mazdoor Tahreek, Sindh Intellectual Forum, Sindhi Awam Jo Qomi Itehad, Sindhi Girls Students Organization, Sujaag Bar Tahreek, Sindh Water Committee, 1940 Pakistan Resolution Implementation Committee Awami Jamhoori Tahreek and Anti Greater Thal Canal and Kalabagh Dam Action Committee.

He also launched Neelam Band Karyo and Voter Listoon Sindhi men Chapayo Tahreek.

Palijo was one of the leading figures behind the Movement For Restoration of Democracy (MRD).

He and his party Awami Tahreek played an active role against illegal Army Operation in Bangladesh and Balochistan and in the Movement of Journalists against General Zia-ul-Haq and in Bhutto Bachayo Tahreek.

He was one of the outstanding speakers of the Sub-continent, top Constitutional and Criminal Lawyers of Pakistan and the first Sindhi and South Asian Politician who launched and organized the movement against Kalabagh Dam, Violence in Educational Institutions, and against Urban Based Organized Terrorism.

He introduced a new non-violent trend of democratic struggles in Sindh by way of Long Marches.

Most of his prisoner life, he was kept in Kot Lakhpat Jail, Punjab during 1980.

He declared as "Prisoner of Conscience" by Amnesty International in 1981.

Palijo has earned a place in the list of leaders from South Asia who earned much fame in the struggle against feudalism, military rule, and imperialism.

He was one of the leading founders of the Awami National Party, Sindh Mutahida Muhaz, Sindh Qaumi Ittehad, Bazm-e-Sofia-e Sindh, PONM, Sindhi Adabi Sangat, Movement To Restore Democracy, Anti One-Unit Movement, and 4 March Movement.

He is the author of more than 40 books on numerous subjects, ranging from literature to politics, prison diaries, culture, and poetry, etc. He became the first political prisoner who remained the longest term in jail under political charges for more than 11 years and was declared as Prisoner of Conscience by Amnesty International in 1981.

Few months before his release from Jail, his party celebrated his birthday on 21 January, then he went to London on invitation of Amnesty International for his treatment.

Later on, He was married to Sindhi singer, activist, and author Zarina Baloch until her death on 25 October 2006.

The union yielded a son Ayaz Latif Palijo.

Lastly, He was married to an educationist and writer of the Sindhi language, Naseem Thebo.

The union yielded two children: 1) Tania Palijo, 2) Anita Aijaz.

In 2015, he split up from his son Ayaz Latif Palijo's Qaumi Awami Tehreek (QAT) and revived Awami Tehreek - the QAT's parent party.

He became well-versed in literature by reading Kant, Hegel, Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, Mohandas Gandhi and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

He was an outspoken critic of the feudal system and bureaucrats.

He was married four times.

He has six children from his first wife: 1) Jameel Ahmed Palejo 2) Saleem Akhtar, 3) Masood Anwar, 4) Shehnaz (Adi Pado), 5) Ghulam Hyder, and 6) Noor Nabi.

Two children from his second wife: 1) Zafar Palijo, 2) Fakhra Qalbani.

On 7 June 2018, he died at a hospital in Karachi.

Prior to his death, he was hospitalised for a long time for cardiac and respiratory complications.

On 8 June 2018, he was laid to rest in his native village, Mungar Khan Palijo, in Thatta district.

Described as "the author of more than forty books on numerous subjects, ranging from literature to politics, prison dairies, philosophy, culture and poetry", his bibliography includes: