Dr Taimur Rahman is a Pakistani university lecturer, political activist, and musician who currently serves as Secretary-General of the Mazdoor Kisan Party (MKP), formerly known as the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party (CMKP). He is the lead guitarist and public face of the progressive rock band Laal. Since 2002, he has taught political science at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). From 1998 to 2003, he also taught economics at the Lahore School of Economics.
He is well-known for his socialist ideologies and has been vocal in his opposition to capitalist exploitation and religious fundamentalism. He is the author of The Class Structure of Pakistan, which was published by Oxford University Press. The book argues that Pakistan’s framework is materialism-based, and it received the Akhtar Hameed Khan Memorial Award in 2012 for the “best book on Social Sciences” about Pakistan.
Early life
Rahman was born into a “bourgeois” family, but he claims his parents were active in the left movement before he was born. He spent his childhood in military-ruled Pakistan during the late 1970s and early 1980s, which influenced him politically. He was an actor, director, and producer in the theatre during his adolescence. He attended Aitchison College, Grinnell College, Sussex University, and the School of Oriental and African Studies before earning a Ph.D. from the School of Oriental and African Studies.
Political struggle
Rahman became involved in Trade Union politics during his college years in the United States. He was a member of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and other leftist organizations. Upon his return to Pakistan in 1998, he became a member of the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party (CMKP). He has been elected to party leadership positions at the district and state levels, as well as the General Secretary of the CMKP. The CMKP merged with the Pakistan Mazdoor Kissan Party and the People’s National Congress to form the Mazdoor Kissan Party in 2015. (MKP). He is the MKP’s current General Secretary. He considers himself a Marxist-Leninist.
Passion for Music
Taimur was interested in music from a young age and started playing the guitar when he was 17. He is the lead guitarist and spokesperson of the band Laal. His band is known for singing socialist and progressive political songs. The band has released several albums and has toured India, the USA, England, etc.
Dr Taimur Rehman interacts with the public through his youtube channel focusing mainly on economy and politics.
