ISLAMABAD Prof Khwaja Masud, educationist, Marxist intellectual and writer, died here on Saturday after a brief illness. He was 88.

He left behind two sons — one of whom is a scientist. His Namaz-i-Janaza will be offered at 2.30pm on Sunday. He will be laid to rest at the Islamabad Graveyard.

Prof Masud was born in Campbellpur (now Attock) in 1922. His father Khawaja Mahmood was a lawyer. His grandfather Allama Alifdin Nafees was a renowned scholar.

The whole family took part in the freedom movement and played an active role in the All India Kashmir Conference.
Prof Masud got his early education from Scotch Mission School in Daska and graduated from Murray College in Sialkot.

He did his masters in mathematics from Government College, Lahore, in 1944 and joined Gordon College, Rawalpindi, as lecturer the same year.

Prof Masud, a teacher par excellence, was appointed principal of the college in 1972. He retired in 1982.

During the military regime of Gen Ziaul Haq, he was transferred to Bahawalpur as punishment, but he never went there.

Prof Masud did not confine himself to mathematics, devoting his life to fathoming the depths of philosophy and social sciences.

He was inspired by Marxist ideology and joined student movements like Democratic Students Federation and the student wing of the Communist Party. He played a leading role in setting up the CP's literary wing, Progressive Writers Association, in Rawalpindi.

Prof Masud was an active trade unionist. He was a founder member of the Islamabad Culture Forum and Islamabad Philosophical Society.

He was also associated with a group of progressive writers and intellectuals, including Sajjad Zaheer, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Mohammad Hussain Ata and Sibte Hassan.

He worked with many military officers like Gen Akbar, Maj Ishaq, Capt Zafarullah Poshni, Air Commodore Janjua and Col Latif Afghan to bring about a change in the government.

The incident was dubbed “Pindi Conspiracy Case” and most of them were arrested and sent to jail. After his retirement, Prof Masud contributed articles to many newspapers, including Dawn, The News and View Point, a weekly.