Manhaz Rahman’s memoirs hits stands

By Syed Khalid Mahmood 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Veteran journalist and women’s right activist Mahnaz Rahman’s memoirs titled ‘Love, Life and the Left’ has arrived. It is being acclaimed as an intimate epic about falling in love, making homes and dreaming revolutions. 

In the words of Senator Farhatullah Babar, the book Love, Life and the Left is more than a memoir. He considers it as a vivid journey through the personal and political history of Pakistan, which makes one ponder over the systemic decline of resistance in Pakistani politics, media and society. 

“Mahnaz Rahman recounts her eventful life lived at the intersection of love, politics & endurance and shines new light on the struggle of the Left in the country. With candour matched only by her grace and courage, Mahnaz Rahman traces her life through decades of activism, journalism and human rights advocacy, offering a deeply human portrait of resilience, dissent and hope,” 

Senator Farhatullah Babar, an engineer-turned-politician, wrote. Ammar Ali Jan reckons that Mahnaz Rahman’s life sheds light on the intimate entanglement between the passionate struggle for emancipation and the weight of tradition embodied in everyday norms, cultural practices, and one’s social position. Sifting through multiple identities, political hopes, passionate love and devastating defeats, the book shows what it means to hold onto principles in the midst of repression, strategic compromises, and outright betrayals. 

Shah Mohammad Marri has opined that the career of Mahnaz Rahman was defined by the courage of her writings and the clarity of her convictions and she remains a tireless guardian for women’s rights and the sanctity of the written word. 

“Written with daring honesty and truth it is both endearing and captivating. One can almost feel the pain as she relives the moments of making difficult decisions in life and love. She narrates her story but it is also the story of so many of us who lived and dreamt about the elusive revolution that would bring equality and justice to all individuals and create a peaceful, harmonious society,” Sheema Kirmani complimented. 

Anwer Sen Roy feels that Mehnaz’s memoirs provide solid and highly reliable testimony for the correction of history. “Every word of hers serves as historical evidence. This is because she was not merely a comrade; she was also the partner of a stern, uncompromising comrade, and the mother of a comrade’s children,” he observed. 

Born in Karachi on June 16, 1949, Mahnaz Rahman has been acclaimed as one of the most respected journalists and women's rights activists. She had earned the distinction of being the first female vice president of the Economics Society in the largest department at the University of Karachi. 

She started her professional journey by joining the magazine section of Daily Musawat in Karachi. Following its closure, she worked at Weekly Mahwar and later at Daily Amn. She stayed in China with her family for eight years. She wrote two regular columns, "Letters from China" for Daily Jang and "Letters from Beijing" for Weekly Akhbar-e-Jahan both of which were widely read. She also translated several works of Chinese literature into Urdu. In 1991, the Chinese government honoured her with the Friendship Award for her outstanding contributions to the country's economic and social progress. 

After returning to Pakistan, she worked with various NGOs and served nearly a couple of decades at the Aurat Foundation, including as its Resident Director Sindh. She is also an active member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). 

Mahnaz Rahman had presided over one of the sessions during the 2nd edition of the Karachi Festival of Books and Libraries (KFBL), produced by Jumbo Publishing, at the Habitt City in December 2025.