Main Activities

Since its inception SAPF-UK, in conjuction with other political and cultural groups, has undertaken a range of political and cultural activities. These included events to discuss political situation in India and Pakistan, addressed by Sitaram Yechury, Secretary of International Affairs and the Parliamentary leader of Communist Party of India (Marxist), leading Marxist leader, Abid Hassan Minto, President of Workers Party Pakistan and Choudhry Fateh Mohammed, a veteran peasant leader from Toba Tek Singh, Pakistan.

SAPF-UK also took a leading role in the re-launching of the Progressive Writers Association UK in 2010. The events took place in Bradford, Leicester and London.

SAPF-UK was the main force behind the activities to celebrate the Faiz Ahmed Faiz Centenary years. Faiz Centenary National Organising Committee UK included leading political and cultural personalities including Tony Benn, Robert Griffiths, Andrew Murray, Professor Amin Mughal, Raza Ali Abadi, John Haylett, Professor Nazir Tabassum, Avtar Sadiq, Syed Badar-ud-Din Beider and Yavar Abbas. During the year well-attended events were organised in Bradford, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, London and many other cities. SAPF-UK maintains a most comprehensive website on Faiz Ahmed Faiz. The president of Progressive Writers Association, Britain, Gurnam Singh Dhillon, was the National convenor and the National Co-ordinator of SAPF-UK, Pervez Fateh, was the Secretary of the National Organising Committee. Salima Hashmi, a leading artist and daughter of Faiz Ahmed Faiz launched of the Centenary publication in London.

SAPF-UK also played instrumental role to organise events to pay tribute to a number of political and cultural personalities, including homages to Habib Jalib (Pakistani revolutionary poet), C.R. Aslam (former President of Socialist Party Pakistan), Harkishan Singh Surjeet (former Secretary General of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Javed Akhtar Bedi (Progressive poet from Bradford), Jyoti Basu (former chief minister West Bangal and CPIM leader), Prof. Khawaja Masud (veteran Pakistani Marxist intellectual), Ahmad Faraz (leading Pakistani progressive poet), Dr Ayub Mirza (Progressive Pakistani writer) and AR Ansari (Literary figure from Manchester).