PAKISTAN is an Islamic republic that has scores of registered political parties.

However, since the country came into existence 75 years ago, most parties in power have either been rightists or centrists with the centre-lef t socialdemocratic Pakistan People`s Party (PPP) being an exception.

It has been observed that the number of registered left-wing political parties hasbeen on a gradual rise for some time in Pakistan. Lef t-wing politics refers to a wide range of political ideologies, including anarchists, communists, socialists, democratic socialists, social democrats,left-libertarians, progressives and social liberals. However, many in Pakistan seem to be unaware of the dif ferent political ideologies.

The fact is that some of the most prominent left-wing political parties may not necessarily have the same agenda.

Some would want a socialist revolution, while others would focus on the lower classes alone.

World`s major powers are currently ruled by right-wing and f ar-right political parties that portray the `Lef t` as a disease. In Pakistan, a major obstacle to the progress of leftist politics is the wave of extremism and intolerance that has gripped the country for long. For all practical purposes, the Lef t has remained a seriously misunderstood ideology in the country.

Talal Maqbool Lahore