Pash was born as Avtar Singh Sandhu in 1950 in a small village called Talwandi Salem in Jalandhar district of Punjab, India, in a middle-class farmers family.

This was in the midst of the Green revolution which had addressed India's problem of famine using high yield crops, but had also unconsciously led to other forms of inequities in Punjab.

On acquittal, the 22-year-old became involved in Punjab's Maoist front, editing a literary magazine, Siarh (The Plow Line) and in 1973 Pash founded 'Punjabi Sahit Te Sabhiachar Manch' (Punjabi Literature and Culture Forum).

One of Pash's most popular and often cited poems is titled in Hindi Sabse Khatarnak hota hai hamare sapnon ka mar jaana - meaning: The most dangerous thing is the demise of our dreams.

[9] In 2017, Punjabi rapper Kay Kap created a song entitled "My Land Is Tryin" featuring a narrative upon visualizing what must have happened moments before Pash was gunned down.

[10] In 2020, Kay Kap's album Rough Rhymes for Tough Times featured a song entitled "Ijaad" which had couplets from Pash's poem "Ghaah" in the outro vocals.

[11] In 2021, Punjabi singer and songwriter Sidhu Moose Wala's album Moosetape featured two songs entitled "G-Shit" and "Power".