The Red Wombat Hole: Pakistan

Showing posts with label Pakistan. Show all posts

Monday, 24 August 2009

New book: "Facing the Musharraf Dictatorship" (with free download)

Farooq Tariq (centre) with members of the DSP.

Below is Labour Party Pakistan spokesperson Farooq Tariq's introduction to his new book, Facing the Musharraf Dictatorship: An Activist's Narrative, republished from Links. Following Tariq's piece on Links is the book's preface by Peter Boyle, national secretary of the Democratic Socialist Perspective of Australia. Facing the Musharraf Dictatorship is available from Good Books Lahore. Email goodbooks_1 [at] yahoo.com to order a hard copy. You can also download the entire 300-page PDF file by following the links at the end of the two articles or by going here.

* * *

Introduction

By Farooq Tariq

It was October 12, 1999. As usual, I was at the Labour Party Pakistan (LPP) secretariat in Lahore. Around 6pm, Farooq Sulehria called me to break the news that Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif had removed the army chief General Pervez Musharraf who was flying back to Pakistan from a visit to Sri Lanka. Sulehria asked me to issue a press statement to explain the LPP's point of view. "Wait and see the response of the army", I told him.

A journalist by profession, Farooq Sulehria was at home and his television was on. He called me again after an hour to tell me that the television transmission had stopped and the TV screen was blank.

"This is army taking over", I told him. "How do you know"?, he asked. "I have lived through two [periods of] army rule and this could be the third", I replied. I had faced the military dictatorships of General Ayub Khan (1958-1969), General Yahya (1969-1971) and General Zia ul-Haq (1977-1988). As student activists, we had raised slogans against Ayub Khan and Yahya Khan. But it was the military rule of General Zia ul-Haq which we fought energetically for all the 11 years of his dictatorship.

By 8pm it was clear that army had taken over. But there was no formal reaction from any political group. Pakistan Television (PTV) started broadcasting war songs. I went out on my motorbike to observe the state of affairs. The LPP office was just opposite the PTV building in Lahore. I saw army troops there. I went to Governor House on the main Mall Road of Lahore. Army trucks were there too.

Around 8pm, I went to the office of Nawabzada Nasrulah Khan, the head of People's Democratic Alliance (PDA), which the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was part of. There were jubilations. The PPP activists were happy that Nawaz Sharif was gone. I asked Nawabzada Nasarullah Khan why was he happy with the military takeover? Although smiling, he said, let's wait for the general's speech and his priorities. Meanwhile one PPP supporter brought in some Benazir Qulfa, a popular local flavour of ice-cream to distribute among those present. I was getting irritated by this behaviour.

I decided to go back to my office. I hurriedly collected the records of the LPP membership and other important documents to put them in a safe place. Army rule could mean the seizing of political parties' offices. We had a short meeting of leading comrades and decided to oppose military rule. Although, we had been opposing Nawaz Sharif's government since 1997, we could not welcome the military takeover under justification.

I went back home around 10pm and waited for the speech of General Musharraf. It was full of same old excuses of democracy not functioning. The general was claiming that his plane had been hijacked and it had not been allowed to land.

I immediately wrote a press release opposing military rule and went out to deliver it to the Daily Jang and other newspapers. Army trucks were everywhere but not many people were on the roads. I was very afraid of being stopped by military personnel and caught red handed with the press release, opposing their rule. It was around 11.30pm when I arrived at the front desk of the Daily Jang.

The next day the Daily Jang printed only a few lines of the LPP statement. But we were satisfied as we knew that every word that appeared in the newspapers would be read that day. The LPP was one of the very few political parties that opposed military rule from the day one. On October 13, I wrote a lengthy article explaining the reasons for the military takeover and it must be opposed. The article was perhaps the first explanation of the developmets available on the internet.

The next week, the office of our weekly paper Mazdoor Jeddojuhd (Workers' Struggle) was raided and the army took away all the copies of the newspaper. The cover headline was "No to army rule!". The paper started in 1980 from Amsterdam, by our small group of Pakistani comrades in exile due to the military dictatorship of General Zia ul-Haq. So, it was not new for us. We had received such treatment several times before, not only at the hands of the military rulers during the 1980s, but also by the civilian government of Mian Nawaz Sharif during 1992.

This was the beginning of our struggle against the military rule of General Musharraf. I was arrested atleast nine times during the nine years of Musharraf's military rule. Numerous police cases were registered against me and other activists of the LPP. My house and party office were raided many times by police seeking to arrest me. Sometimes they were able to catch me, other times the police raids ended in failure as I managed to hoodwink them.

During this period I often used to receive threatening telephone calls, not only from the police officers but also from army officers and sometimes from the intelligence agencies. LPP activists were also threatened by religious fundamentalists several times. All this was due to the LPP's staunch opposition to military rule and its relentless efforts to building an alternative to the politics of the rich and feudal.

This book is not a narration of Musharraf's nine-year army rule, rather it is a saga of our resistance to it. This is a story of the decisive last 18 months of Musharraf rule. Some of the articles and diaries I wrote during those 18 months are included in this book. Written at the thick of the activities, it is more like a running commentary of a cricket match.

[Farooq Tariq is spokesperson for Labour Party Pakistan.]

Sunday, 26 July 2009

The "Workers International Network"

Apparently made up of revolutionaries of largely of the ex-CWI variety, Socialist Unity has spied the announcement/ creation of a new International/ Grouping/ Network/ Thing called Workers International Network.

Who we are, what we want

The world today stands on the brink of catastrophe: a “perfect storm” that threatens to tear society apart and call into question the survival of human civilisation itself.
This website represents the ideas of a network of workers from several countries. We all participate in a broad online discussion list which links committed socialists worldwide, and provides a forum for the vital exchange of experiences and ideas. At its best, it has been a source of advice, support, and even occasional inspiration. Many of the list’s participants – not all from the same past traditions – have evolved over a period a certain common political outlook, and we feel that the time has come to set down more explicitly some of these common principles.

This task is especially timely, given that we find ourselves at a turning point in world history. During the previous period, it was right to give priority to reflecting on past lessons, drawing a balance sheet, and re-examining basic principles, to adjust to the changed balance of forces and prepare for the new period ahead. With the sudden implosion of the world financial system, however, and the imminent prospect of class struggles not witnessed perhaps for more than 70 years, it is now time to take a more proactive stance. The first step towards building the kind of coherent political movement that can hope to change society is to work out answers to the complex new questions of the day, and work accordingly to spread our ideas.

Nothing less than a worldwide party of the working class is needed. We have no pretensions to constitute even the embryo of such a party, let alone a substitute for it. We are just a like-minded group of committed co-thinkers with a certain point of view. We simply offer these ideas as a contribution to the discussion that will help arm the pioneers of such a future party. In the common interests of workers everywhere seeking a way forward to a better and more rational society, we welcome discussion and interaction with anyone with similar objectives.

UK: Roger Silverman, Ed Bober, Julian Silverman, Felicity Dowling, Matt Hollinshead, Rob Jones.
Ireland: Jimmy Kelly, Harry Hutchinson, Dermot Connolly, Cllr Joan Collins.
USA: John Reimann, Joel Schor.
France: Raymond Debord, Vincent Présumey, François Ferrette.
Pakistan: Farooq Tariq.
Germany: Walter Held.
South Africa: Martin Legassick

Monday, 6 July 2009

Tariq Ali on Obama and Pakistan

Via Lenin's Tomb. Filmed by Ady Cousins:

Friday, 27 March 2009

Int'l Speakers at "World At A Crossroads" conference

Below are just some of the international speakers at the forthcoming World At A Crossroads socialist conference, to be held this Easter at Sydney Girls High School. Visit http://www.worldatacrossroads.org for more information or to register...
Michael Lebowitz, Venezuela & Canada

* Centro Internacional Miranda, Caracas
* Renowned Marxist economist
* Director of the program "Transformative Practice and Human Development" at the Centro Internacional Miranda, Caracas, Venezuela
* Author of "Build it Now: 21st Century Socialism" and "Beyond Capital: Marx's Political Economy of the Working Class", winner of the Isaac Deutscher memorial prize (2004)
* Professor Emeritus of economics, Simon Fraser University, Canada

Reihana Mohideen, Philippines

* Power of the Masses Party (PLM)
* Long-term activist in the women's and labour movements in the Philippines
* Vice chair, International Department, Power of the Masses Party (PLM)
* Chairperson of Transform Asia, a gender and labour institute in South East Asia
* Editor of "Socialist Dialogue", a bulletin which carries debates and discussions of the international socialist movement
* Formerly vice-chair for international affairs of the socialist labor centre, Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (Solidarity of Filipino Workers)

Ian Angus, Canada

* Eco-Socialist Network
* One of the founders of the Ecosocialist International Network
* Editor of Climate and Capitalism and associate editor of Socialist Voice
* Director of the Socialist History Project
* Author of: "Canadian Bolsheviks: The Early Years of the Communist Party of Canada"; "Food Crisis: World Hunger, Agribusiness&the Food Sovereignty Alternative"; "How to Avoid Action on Climate Change: The fine art of greenwash in Canadian politics"; and "Confronting the Climate Change Crisis".

Luis Bilbao, Venezuela & Argentina

* Long time activist on the Latin American left
* Participant in the construction of the mass United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and the formation of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR)
* Founding editor of the Latin American wide monthly magazine "América XXI"
* Author of 16 books, most recently "Venezuela in Revolution: the Rebirth of Socialism"
* Marxist professor of Political Economy and International Politics at TEA, School of Journalism, Argentina
* Member of Union of Militants for Socialism, Argentina.
Read Luis Bilbao's article 'Venezuela: Reasons to be alert'

Kavita Krishnan, India

* Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist), All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA)
* A long-time leader of India’s student movement, including as President of the All India Students' Association from 1999 to 2006
* Central Committee member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist) and an editor of the party’s magazine in English, Liberation
* National Secretary of the All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA)

Salim Vally, South Africa

* Spokesperson of the Palestine Solidarity Committee
* Leading activist in the Palestine solidarity campaign in South Africa where dock workers recently boycotted Israeli ships. The PSC is directly working with the Council of South African Trade Unions on further solidarity and boycott actions
* Social justice and anti-apatheid activist since high school where he was a regional executive member of the South African Students’ Movement (SASM) until its banning in 1977
* Former member of COSATU’s National Education Committee
* Lecturer and senior researcher at the Education Policy Unit and the School of Education at Wits University, Johannesburg

M.Saraswathy, Malaysia

* Socialist Party of Malaysia
* A founding member and currently Deputy Chairperson of the Socialist Party of Malaysia, and Chairperson of the PSM's Jelapang branch
* A long-term organiser of plantation workers, urban settlers and women workers in Malaysia, and founder of the Textile Union at Imperial Garment

Abelardo Curbelo, Cuba

* Cuban Communist Party
* Veteran of the Cuban revolution
* Central committee member of the Cuban Communist Party
* Currently Cuban ambassador to Australia

Daphne Lawless, Aotearoa (New Zealand)

* Socialist Worker - New Zealand
* Central committee member of SW-NZ
* Editor of the journal "Unity"
* Editorial board of Workers Charter newspaper
* Co-founder of Campus Left at Victoria University 2004
* Foundation member of NewLabour Party in 1989

Nelson Davila, Venezuela

* Venezuelan Charge D'Affaires in Australia
* Founding member of Chavez’s Bolivarian Revolutionary Movement (MBR-200), the revolutionary group formed inside the armed forces
* Member of the ideological commission of the Maisanto Command, the coordinating body for the mass campaign to defeat the opposition’s attempts to recall Chavez in the August 2004 referendum
* Former instructor for the Centres for Ideological Formation
* Currently head of Venezuela's diplomatic mission to Australia

Roger Annis, Canada

* Socialist Voice
* Editor of "Socialist Voice"
* Aerospace worker and member of the International Association of Machinists in Vancouver, Canada
* A coordinator of the Canada Haiti Action Network
* Travelled to Haiti in August 2007 as part of a human rights investigative delegation

Ammar Ali Jan, Pakistan

* Labour Party Pakistan
* Youth secretary, Labour Party Pakistan
* Member of various progressive student and youth groups in Lahore including National Student Federation and Progressive Youth Front.
* Previously involved in the Campus Anti-war Network at the University of Texas, Austin, USA.
* Regular contributor for the most widely circulated English magazine in Pakistan including the News International of Jang Goup, the largest chain of newspapers in Pakistan.

Soubhi Iskander, Sudan

* Sudanese Communist Party
* Active in the Sudanese Human Rights Committee
* Editor of "The Flame", monthly Arabic insert in Green Left Weekly
* Socialist Alliance member

Mericio Juvinal Dos Reis (Akara)

* Luta Hamutuk Institute
* Executive Director of the Luta Hamutuk Institute
* From 2002-2005 he was a researcher at La’o Hamutuk, The East Timor Institute for Reconstruction Monitoring and Analysis.
* From 1999-2002, Mericio Akara was a Vice President of Timor Socialist Party, but he resigned from the position and from party membership in 2003.
* Prior to 1999, he spent 8 years in Jakarta-Indonesia as a student and as a pro independent activist.

Thursday, 19 March 2009

LPP statement: 'A new Pakistan is emerging'

Via Action in Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific:

Statement issued by Labour Party Pakistan on March 18, 2009 at a press conference in Lahore addressed by LPP Spokesperson Farooq Tariq in the company of Ammar Ali Jan, youth secretary LPP Lahore, Imtiaz Choudry, secretary LPP Punjab, Rana Ashraf, member Lahore LPP committee, Niaz Khan secretary Carpet Workers Union and Kashif Aslam Progressive Youth Front Lahore:

The purpose of this press conference is to present and introduce those heroes of GPO Chowk who played a decisive role in pushing the police backward. There are not many examples of the bravery that these heroes had shown on the day. If the demonstrators at GPO Chowk had been defeated the course of events might have been different.

"On March 16, it was an expression of a real mass power. A new Pakistan is emerging, where the center of power will be people of Pakistan."

The activists of LPP played a decisive role in this battle. They fought with police again and again forcing police to retreat facing hundreds of tear gas shells. Some of them fainted but returned soon after gaining consciousness. These heroes include Ammar Ali Jan, Kashif Aslam, Rans Ashraf, Sajid Naveed, Niaz Khan and others. While the LPP women also showed tremendous act of bravery during the event.

Setting the record straight

Three political parties were in the fore front during this time, Jamat Islami, Pakistan Muslim League and Labour Party Pakistan.
During long march of the lawyers movement. LPP emerged as the fourth largest political parties on terms of arrests. Analyzing the arrest of the activists, it becomes clear that after PMLN, Jamat Islami and Tehreek Insaaf, LPP activists were in the line. Over 40 activists were arrested during the five days of the Long March. These arrests were mainly in Karachi, Hyderabad, Faisalabad and Charsada. While police raided the houses of LPP activists in Qasur, Toba Tek Singh, Sheikhupura, Layya, Islamabad, Lahore and Faisalabad.
On the instructions of the LPP leadership, no activist was arrested from their homes. All the arrests were made during demonstrations and rallies. LPP activists resisted the arrests every where. In Karachi, LPP leadership was brutally beaten up and women arrested. These arrests made headlines across Pakistan.
Against the arrests, LPP demonstrated in Karachi and Lahore on March 13 despite the threats of more arrests. While in Hyderabad, seven LPP activists were arrested from a demonstration. Dozens of LPP activists were able to enter Islamabad despite all the blockades. They would have demonstrated in Islamabad if the long march had reached Islamabad.
We are bringing all this to the notice of people of Pakistan through the media because an impression is being given that only three political parties took part in the lawyers movement. The LPP has proved in action that LPP has taken part in the lawyers movement with all its power. LPP is organising a special celebrations in honor of GPO Chowk heroes.

No secret deals!

LPP believes that PMLN has changed its attitude towards PPP. Till yesterday, they were using very provocative language against the PPP leadership, now an absolute conciliatory tone is being used.
The LPP demands that the secret talks and deals between the two parties be made public. Governor rule in Punjab must be lifted immediately.
We demand that interior affairs advisor Rehman Malik resign. He is responsible for all the state repression against political activists. He has destroyed the whole economy by imposing blockades for several days. He must be held accountable for all the state atrocities and arrests. Those killed, tortured and arrested during the two years of the lawyers' movement must be recognised by the state and accordingly compensated.
LPP demands an investigation of the May 12, 2007 incidents in Karachi. Also the state must take notice of Sahiwal burning of lawyers and other such brutalities. Those responsible must be brought to justice.

PPP hypocrisy

We also demand an investigation of all the arrests, blockades, raids and torture of political activists by PPP government. We fail to understand how PPP is celebrating the reinstatement of Iftikhar Choudry. They are distributing sweets. Till March 15, whole PPP leadership was claiming that the chief justice was being politicised, that it was an issue of one person, that Benazir Bhutto never promised to reinstate the judges, that the judges could not be reinstated without constitutional amendments. The PPP leadership was claiming the most of the judges have been reinstated. Now, the PPP leadership is celebrating and want every one to forget what they said and did before March 16. This is sheer hypocrisy. PPP leadership thinks that masses are fool, but they will be proven wrong with the events unfolding in future.
On March 16, it was an expression of a real mass power. A new Pakistan is emerging, where the center of power will be people of Pakistan. We demand the removal of all PCO judges. The privatization process must be cancelled, the land of Military Farms be given to the tenants. A minimum wage of 6000 Rupees must be implemented everywhere. All the restrictions on trade unions must be lifted. LPP will send appeals of public interests to chief justice of Pakistan. He must start to take sue motto notices of human rights violations. All the missing persons must be produced. No actions be taken against any person unlawfully.
The working class of Pakistan has played an important role in the reinstatement of the judges. It is time for the restoration of the people of Pakistan. There must be free services of transport, health, education and a decent wage. All the remnants of Musharraf dictatorship must be removed from everywhere. LPP will continue to struggle for emancipation of the working class.

Ammar Ali Jan, Youth Secretary of the Labour Party Pakistan Lahore (LPP), will be one of several international at the the World at a Crossroads conference in Sydney, Australia, April 10-12. For more information, or to book tickets, visit http://www.worldatacrossroads.org

Pakistan

Action in Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific (ASAP), formerly ASIET (Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor), is a network of solidarity activists campaigning for democratic rights, self-determination and other justice struggles in the Asia Pacific region.
ASAP's People's Power Fighting Fund runs appeals for material support for various democratic struggles in the region. To donate to this fund and to help maintain this website, you can deposit directly into the Commonwealth Bank Australia BSB 062026 Account number 1006 0743. Thank-you. Your help is appreciated.

Tuesday, 17 March 2009

Pakistan eyewitness report: GPO150 and the spirit of March 15

By Ammar Jan Ali
Lahore: We all are ecstatic about what happened in Lahore on the March 15, 2009. This day will be remembered as one where the power of State seemed helpless in front of the power of the street. The most crucial moment during the day was the battle at the GPO chowk that galvanized the entire city into action. The scene of almost 150 people battling a repressive police and forcing it to retreat will remain in the collective memory of our nation for a very long time to come.
I happened to be part of that "GPO 150" when the police started using tear-gas. Here is a short description of how we managed to reach the spot and how we were able to inflict defeat on the State apparatus.

Beating the checkpoints

We had left Zaman park where Aitzaz had been placed under house arrest. Lahore gave the look of a deserted ghost town in the morning with the Mall road completely blocked. I was with the Labour Party Pakistan, Student Action Committee and civil society members. We decided to walk our way towards the High Court in pairs so that the police fails to notice us. Some of us succeeded while others, like Nauman Qaiser and Jalees Hazir, were arrested at the checkpoints. We saw civil society activists Feryal Gauhar and Hina Jilani once we reached the GPO chowk.
I have been to many protests in the past but I have never seen anything like the passion visible in front of the High Court. There was a consensus that if the Lahore High Court falls, the movement will fizzle out. Everyone knew that the police would use the most brutal measures to suppress the will of the people and were mentally prepared for an epic battle.
As the police started shelling tear-gas indiscriminately, many activists started falling unconscious. All of us panicked and started fleeing the scene to evade arrests. A man who must be in his 70s, started yelling to the fleeing crowd (which included me, as I could no longer breathe) that this was not a time to run but to fight. Eventually, the baba ji fainted as well but he encouraged all of us to come back and continue the fight.

Two-hour battle

We resisted the police for over two hours, pushing them back many a times. Express News
My friend Murtaza Khwaja (who was taking part in a violent protest for the first time) showed immense courage and we stayed on the front line throughout this epic battle. The protestors were also fighting with a spontaneous strategy that proved to be very effective. We had split in three groups. One on the Mall road, one towards the left of the GPO while one group stayed inside the High Court building. When the police would charge protestors on one side, they would be pelted by stones from the other side. This was the key to this street battle as the police was being hit by stones from three sides which is why they could not takeover the High Court. It didn't matter which political party or group one belonged to. Everyone was looking out for each other and we all wanted to win.
By this time, a lot of lawyers, political activists and civil society members had gathered at the gates and those of us who had been there since almost 12pm decided to leave as we felt dehydrated and could not breathe properly. When we went in the courtyard where all the activists had gathered (including Justice Tariq Mehmood, Advocate Anwar Kamal, Hina Jila, Tehmina Daultana etc), we had no idea what this battle at the GPO really meant. We were just looking for water and a place to sit. In fact, I was a little disappointed that the numbers in front of the GPO had not been big and that the Long March could be a failure.
It is here that we received the news that this battle had gripped the entire country's imagination. The news channels were constantly talking about the police high-handedness and the resistance by many activists. I even received a call from a friend in Karachi who said that he had read about the crazy fighting at the Lahore High Court. The tide was definitely turning. reported that 250 to 300 shells had been fired at the protestors. Express news reporter Rabia Mehmood and AAG channel correspondent Mani almost fainted and had to be taken away from the scene. Many were vomiting because of chemicals in the tear-gas which were worse than anything I have witnessed. However, this brought the best out of the Pakistani nation. Some people were carrying salt and water for those getting injured in the fighting. Others were helping carrying people to the diagnostic center in the High Court or on to Edhi ambulances. I was about to faint a couple of times and was almost blinded by the gas before some random people gave me enough water and salt.

People control the city

After this, the people were in complete control of the city. Thousands joined Nawaz Sharif's caravan as he defied detention orders to lead the procession from his house in Model Town. The High Court courtyard went ecstatic when we heard the news of the resignations of the IG,DIG, SP, DCO and deputy attorney general of pakistan. Crowds cheered wildly as some of these gentlemen joined us at the High Court. The most memorable part of the evening for me was when Aitzaz Ahsan defiantly entered the High Court building despite orders for his house arrest and the police officers stood in line to salute him. This meant a complete victory for the movement and from their onwards, it was just a matter of time before the government would be forced to accept our demands.
I feel that the way Taseer's goons were defeated at the GPO showed the weakness of this state apparatus. It represented the best of pakistan. On one side, it represented despair, state brutality and police repression. On the other, it reflected hope, resistance, the passions and the dreams of many Pakistanis. We had won not because of the generosity of the country's leadership, but because of the countless sacrifices of lawyers and activists for the past 2 years with 15th march 2009 becoming the grand finale in Lahore.
Here, I want to thank those comrades who stood their ground at the GPO chowk and showed Pakistan why should we be fighting this system. I will remember their support and courage for the rest of my life. This is the courage, confidence and spirit of sacrifice that we need if we want to continue our fight against the capitalist system. This has given us new confidence in our own ability to fight and in the revolutionary potential of our nation. Despite this success, our post-colonial state is still full of problems and oppression and there will inevitably be more resistance. In all of the future struggles, we shall remember and take with us the spirit of March 15.

Pakistan

Thursday, 12 March 2009

Pakistan: LPP leaders evade arrest & go underground to prepare for Long March

From Farooq Tariq of the LPP

Dear all,

Labour Party Pakistan has directed all its members to go for an all out effort to participate in the long march. LPP Sindh has planned two buses to join the long march tomorrow on 12 March from Karachi. Majority of LPP participants are working class women. They will join the long march despite all the threats of being arrested.

Here in Lahore, LPP representatives participated in an organizing committee meeting called by Lahore High Court Bar Association. LPP Punjab will also join the long march from Lahore with two buses. The long march participants will be welcomed by comrades of LPP in almost all the major cities on the route of the long march. The LPP Lahore will participate in the Thursday rally of the lawyers.

In Lahore, police made a failed attempt to arrest two main leaders of LPP late last night. Police was looking for the house of Azra Shad, chairperson Women Workers Help Line and a member national committee of LPP. In another attempt, Rana Asharaf, district secretary LPP Sheikhupura, made a successful escape from being arrested late last night. They both alongside with dozens of others will participate in the long march despite the police threats.

I have gone underground again late last night. Although, police had not turned up my home as was the usual case in such circumstances, comrades advised me to go to a safer place. This was due to my health problems. I will not be part of the long march physically as I am still on a rest after going through the angioplasty. However, comrades of LPP will not let anyone feel my absence by their active participation. Before I left home late last night, I was interviewed by Kawish Television Networks (KTN) about the arrests and the effects. The anchor person, Manzoor Sheikh was curious to know what is happening in Punjab. I told him that it is not a national question. It is simple question of betrayal by PPP leadership who happened to be from Sindh.

It seems that PPP regime is on retreat after being very aggressive in stopping the proposed long march. They have arrested over 500 political activists. The strategy to deal with the opposition is very much the same as was the case under Musharaf. "Arrest the activists and not the main leadership" is the theme behind the whole sale arrests. The Prime Minister Yousaf raza Gilani told the a gathering that he will speak to president Zaradari tomorrow about the lifting of governor rule in Punjab. He made vague remarks of the possible new Punjab government. He also tried to say that he will resolve the issue of the judiciary.

Farooq Tariq
spokesperson
Labour Party Pakistan
40-Abbot Road Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: 92 42 6315162 Fax: 92 42 6271149 Mobile: 92 300 8411945

Friday, 6 March 2009

Pakistan's drift into the hands of extremists - Tariq Ali

guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 3 March 2009 10.32 GMT

The appalling terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers in Pakistan had one aim: to demonstrate to Washington that the country is ungovernable. This is the first time that cricketers have been targeted in a land where the sport is akin to religion. It marks the death of international cricket in Pakistan for the indefinite future,
but not just that, which is bad enough. The country's future is looking more and more precarious. We do not know which particular group carried out this attack, but its identity is hardly relevant. The fact is that it took place at a time when three interrelated events had angered a large bulk of the country and provided succour to extremist groups and their patrons.

The first is undoubtedly the foolish decision by Washington (backed by Britain) to send more troops to Afghanistan, which has now united all those resisting them in that country and the North-West Frontier province of Pakistan. Instead of searching for a viable exit strategy, Obama has gone for a surge. On several occasions, I have warned that escalating the war in Afghanistan could seriously destabilise Pakistan and its army.

Second, Senator Dianne Feinstein's revelation that the US drones being used to target "militants" and "terrorist havens" inside Pakistan were, in fact, being despatched by the US from military and air-force bases inside Pakistan (obviously, with the approval of the Pakistani military and civilian leaders) created mayhem in the country. The
shock and dismay should not be underestimated. Half-hearted government denials further fanned the flames. Since many in the country regard Zardari and his cronies running the country as US drones, the anger was multiplied.

Domestically, the country is a mess. The People's party has learnt and forgotten nothing. Corruption is rife and stories circulate linking the money being paid by bankers directly to the president's house. Add to this Zardari's refusal to honour an election pledge restoring an independent judiciary, and his decision to manipulate tame judges to disqualify his opponents has not gone down well. The controversy was aggravated by Zardari's move to dismiss the elected government in the country's most populous and strategically important province, the Punjab (capital: Lahore), and impose direct rule, after its chief minister apparently refused to accept a bribe in the shape of a
lucrative business deal in return for abandoning the fight to restore the chief justice fired by the military leader over a year ago.

The failures of this government and its inability to defend the country's interests or its population from drones or terrorist attacks are paving the way for the return of the army to power as a way of avoiding a serious split within its own ranks. All that is awaited is a green light from the US embassy in Islamabad. Not that this would solve anything, but it might create the illusion of stability for a few months. It's no good Pakistani politicians mumbling that this is "our Mumbai". The fact is that, over the last year, the Zardari government has done a great deal for itself and its clients, but nothing for the people or the country. The more Pakistan drifts, the more opportunities offer themselves to the extremists.

Friday, 28 November 2008

The Assault on Mumbai

India's leaders need to look closer to home

By TARIQ ALI. First published in Counterpunch, November 27, 2008

The terrorist assault on Mumbai’s five-star hotels was well planned, but did not require a great deal of logistic intelligence: all the targets were soft. The aim was to create mayhem by shining the spotlight on India and its problems and in that the terrorists were successful. The identity of the black-hooded group remains a mystery.

The Deccan Mujahedeen, which claimed the outrage in an e-mail press release, is certainly a new name probably chosen for this single act. But speculation is rife. A senior Indian naval officer has claimed that the attackers (who arrived in a ship, the M V Alpha) were linked to Somali pirates, implying that this was a revenge attack for the Indian Navy’s successful if bloody action against pirates in the Arabian Gulf that led to heavy casualties some weeks ago.

The Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, has insisted that the terrorists were based outside the country. The Indian media has echoed this line of argument with Pakistan (via the Lashkar-e-Taiba) and al-Qaeda listed as the usual suspects.

But this is a meditated edifice of official India’s political imagination. Its function is to deny that the terrorists could be a homegrown variety, a product of the radicalization of young Indian Muslims who have finally given up on the indigenous political system. To accept this view would imply that the country’s political physicians need to heal themselves.

Al Qaeda, as the CIA recently made clear, is a group on the decline. It has never come close to repeating anything vaguely resembling the hits of 9/11.

Its principal leader Osama bin Laden may well be dead (he certainly did not make his trademark video intervention in this year’s Presidential election in the United States) and his deputy has fallen back on threats and bravado.

What of Pakistan? The country’s military is heavily involved in actions on its Northwest frontier where the spillage from the Afghan war has destabilized the region. The politicians currently in power are making repeated overtures to India. The Lashkar-e-Taiba, not usually shy of claiming its hits, has strongly denied any involvement with the Mumbai attacks.

Why should it be such a surprise if the perpetrators are themselves Indian Muslims? Its hardly a secret that there has been much anger within the poorest sections of the Muslim community against the systematic discrimination and acts of violence carried out against them of which the 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom in shining Gujarat was only the most blatant and the most investigated episode, supported by the Chief Minister of the State and the local state apparatuses.

Add to this the continuing sore of Kashmir which has for decades been treated as a colony by Indian troops with random arrests, torture and rape of Kashmiris an everyday occurrence. Conditions have been much worse than in Tibet, but have aroused little sympathy in the West where the defense of human rights is heavily instrumentalised.

Indian intelligence outfits are well aware of all this and they should not encourage the fantasies of their political leaders. Its best to come out and accept that there are severe problems inside the country. A billion Indians: 80 percent Hindus and 14 percent Muslims. A very large minority that cannot be ethnically cleansed without provoking a wider conflict.

None of this justifies terrorism, but it should, at the very least, force India’s rulers to direct their gaze on their own country and the conditions that prevail. Economic disparities are profound. The absurd notion that the trickle-down effects of global capitalism would solve most problems can now be seen for what it always was: a fig leaf to conceal new modes of exploitation.

Tariq Ali’s latest book, ‘The Duel: Pakistan on the Flight Path of American Power’ is published by Scribner.

What is really happening in Pakistan? Can American arms win in Afghanistan? Activist/historian Tariq Ali launches new book and updates the Afghan war, and the daily struggle of Pakistan in the age of corruption.

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Thursday, 13 November 2008

Successful international conference on socialism held in Malaysia

Conference opening rally Via the DSP website

The DSP sent a delegation of three comrades to an international conference on socialism on November 7-9 hosted by the Socialist Party Malaysia (PSM) in Kuala Lumpur.The conference attracted socialists from different political tendencies and several countries. The DSP delegation comprised DSP Assistant National Secretary Lisa Macdonald, Links editor Terry Townsend and Merrilyn Treasure. Below is a report by the conference host.

Click here for more pictures of the conference.

Building Socialism While Capitalism Crumbles

It was timely for the Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) to host Socialism 2008 – Malaysia, when the world is caught in a deep crisis that is considered the worst since World War II.The conference showed that capitalism, during its 18-year-term as the dominant ideology of the world, had wreaked havoc on the lives of people and the planet, and that there was an urgent need to put forward a socialist alternative.

Socialists from Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Australia, Britain, Sweden, Taiwan as well as from different parts of Malaysia, gathered at New Era College, Kajang, Selangor, during the weekend of 7-9 November 2008, to discuss and debate some of the burning issues related to the struggle against capitalism and for socialism today. The organizer chose 7 November, the anniversary of the Great October Revolution, as the day for the opening rally and Youth Revolutionary Night.

500 people attended the opening rally on 7 November, with keynote speeches by Nasir Hashim (Chairperson of PSM), Syed Sharir (President of Malaysian Trade Union Congress), Saraswathy (Deputy Chairperson of PSM), "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-Hung (Legislative Council Member of Hong Kong), Francisco Nemenzo (from Laban ng Masa, the Philippines) and Colleen Bolger (from Socialist Alternative, Australia).

Speakers at the opening rally with the theme, "Socialism in the 21st Century", spoke about the deep crisis of global capitalism and the urgent need to build Socialism from below. Leung Kwok-Hung, a radical social activist who is often called "Long Hair", said in his speech, "You can call it neo-liberalism, globalization or whatever. It is merely another stage of global capitalism."

Nasir Hashim, the Chairperson of PSM, stressed during his speech at the opening rally, "Socialists must always be prepared to grab the chance to replace capitalism when the crisis of capitalist economic crisis explodes one day."

All the representative of participating international groups in this forum, together with comrades in PSM, were invited to go up the stage and wave their flags and banners, after the opening performance which depicted the struggle of the working class and ordinary people in Malaysia. The Internationale, the anthem of revolutionaries and working class all over the world, was sung in high spirits, on the day the October Revolution took place 91 years ago.

Following the opening rally, was the Youth Revolutionary Night, with many dramas, pantomimes, songs and dances performed by young people. There was a mixed media performance by children of Kampung Berembang about their struggle against eviction, as well as a "Malaysian Political Oscar Award" which entertained the audiences with political scenarios in Malaysia for the last one year in a satirical way.

Such use of revolutionary and critical art and the dedication demonstrated by our youths greatly inspired the international delegates; some of whom said it has given them a lot of ideas on applying art in the same way in their home countries.

Capitalism in Deep Crisis

The next day, 8 November, the program kick started with a session on "Crisis in Capitalism: "Financial, Food and Fuel Crisis." The chair for this session was Rajamoorthy, from Third World Network while the speakers were Lim Mah Hui, an economist, and Mickael Von Knorring, from the Swedish Left Party.

Lim Mah Hui gave a brief yet detailed analysis on financial capitalism. He said, "Capitalism is prone to crisis. Capitalism is a highly productive system but prone to flaws – inequality, destruction. Dominance of finance over productive capital is problematic. Financial capitalism has become even more unstable. Over the last 70 years there have been 124 banking crises – South American, Scandinavian, Japanese. The current crisis started with the subprime. " Mickael's talk was more focused on the oil crisis and ways to overcome it.

After the first session, there was a launching of the Malay translation of Lenin by Ian Birchall. This is the first in a series of translations of the rebel's guide series of books planned by the PSM to help Malaysians understand socialism.

The second session "Climate Change – How to Weather it?" was chaired by Nizam Mahshar, a social environmentalist, as he calls himself from Friends of the Earth. The speakers of this session were Terry Townsend, editor of Links International, and Jonathan Neale, a leading member of Socialist Workers Party of Britain, who is actively involved in campaigning against climate change.

Terry warned that "a 6˚C rise in temperature would mean billions of human beings will perish, with broad areas of fertile lowland swamped by rising seas and desertification." Jonathan also said, "They (governments) want to do something, but they cannot do it within their system. We have to build a global climate movement to force them to do it. We cannot build it based on sacrifice. This movement will be nothing unless we have it in USA, China, India and Asia. We cannot have a movement in Asia that's based on sacrifice. We cannot have a movement in Asia to tell people to go back and live a simple life. We have to build a movement that says we will have jobs, we will have growth and we will make poverty history." Only a socialist system driven by popular democracy and planning and not personal enrichment and consumption can alleviate the problems we have today.

Peoples' Struggles around the World

The next session was on "Revolution and Counter Revolution in Latin America", chaired by Amer Hamzah, a human rights lawyer. The speakers for this interesting topic were Jorge Martin, International Secretary of Hands Off Venezuela, and Lisa MacDonald, national coordinator for Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network.

Jorge shared the inspiring stories of the brave Latin American masses in fighting capitalism and imperialism. There's right now a major debate in Latin America to differentiate between reformist socialism and revolutionary socialism. Lisa also said, "The gains people have made in Venezuela have made an impact in the revival of mass uprising in a variety of countries. The Venezuelan revolution is unfinished and an open-ended process and threatened by the contradiction of the process."

After "travelling" to a continent far away, we returned to our own region in the session on "South East Asia – People's Power and Betrayals". The session was chaired by K. Arumugam, a social activist, and the speakers were Giles Ji Ungpakorn, from Turn Left Thailand, and Francisco Nemenzo, from Laban ng Masa the Philippines.

Giles raised a few crucial issues like the gap between mood and struggle, problems of alliances on the left, alliances with Islamic parties, transitional demands in a time of global economic crisis, and the need for Marxist Political Organisation; while Francisco concentrated his presentation of the development and challenges faced by the Filipino left.

The fifth session on 8 November was on "Nepal under Maoists". The invited speaker from the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), CPN-M, was not able to make it to the forum but had sent his apologies and solidarity greetings. The speakers for this session were Farooq Tariq, from Labour Party Pakistan (LPP), and Siritunga, from United Socialist Party of Sri Lanka. The recent development in Nepal, a landlocked country of the Himalayas, has attracted tremendous attention and interest from socialists around the world including those in Malaysia.

Farooq spoke about the meaning of success in Nepal and challenges faced by CPN-M, while Siritunga talked about the problem with the Maoists. Farooq said that one of the victories of the Maoists was that they put ordinary people to contest against heavyweights and they deserve credit for putting the maximum number of women in parliament. "Those already fighting on a hammer and sickle should then move forward, not backwards. It's our task to have an open mind and open eyes as socialists, and as internationalists," said Farooq.

After a long day of discussions, the second day ended with the screening of films about local and international struggles.

The Way Forward for the Left

The third day, 9 November 2008, started with the session "Left in Coalition Politics", chaired by Koy, a social activist. Speakers for this session were Jesus Syaiful Anam, from International Marxist Tendency (IMT) Indonesia, and Jeyakumar Devaraj, Central Committee Member of PSM and Member of Parliament for Sungai Siput.

Jesus shared the experience and debate about coalition politics in Indonesia. Kumar pointed out one of the main reasons for this topic is because the left is weak and divided. Kumar pointed out the dialectics of "success" in coalition politics where the nature of the revolutionary party itself can change when taking part in electoral politics. Kumar outlined the principles of engagement in coalition-electoral politics – ideological clarity, democracy within the party and avoidance of cultism. He also cautioned against elected representatives becoming too comfortable with their new position. "Coalition politics does offer the Left opportunities to spread its analysis and win over more supporters and members. But it is a doubled-edged sword which may actually result in the subversion of our aims and destruction of our party," said Kumar.

PSM Secretary-General Arul The session that followed was on "PSM – 10 Years and Beyond", chaired by Amir Muhammad, a well-known film maker. The speakers were Tan Jing Quee, who was a leader of Socialist Front in Singapore, and Arutchelvan, Secretary-General of PSM. Tan talked about the history of the Left in the past, while Arul shared the history of PSM and challenges ahead.

Tan Jing Quee reviewed the inspiring history of the Malayan/Malaysian left, the contributions and the challenges faced. Having played a role in that great history, he spoke with passion, and sometimes with regret at current interpretations of certain events of that period.

According to Arul, there are four critical issues facing PSM today which will determine its future path:

1. How do we build the party? Around election work or through building the class movement?

2. Welfare work/reformist vs revolutionary work.

3. Help build two-party system or the third force, and

4. Creating a more multi-ethnic membership.

Arul also shared about the three guiding stars, advice from a very prominent socialist in her mid 80s:

1. Always read and understand the ideology.

2. Do a lot of hard work with the people to gain their support, and

3. Never betray your members and the people at large.

The last session before the closing session was on an interesting topic – "Islam and Socialism". The session was chaired by Mashalina Hamzah, from Sisters in Islam, and the speakers were Farooq Tariq from LPP, and Mat Sabu, Vice President of the Islamic Party (PAS).

Farooq argued that religious fanatics are not anti-imperialist. Meanwhile, Mat Sabu said that Prophet Muhammad had established a welfare state in his time. Farooq said that a political leader, leading a simple life, by itself is not enough. The more important thing is what policies are you going to implement. Farooq also emphasised that "Socialism is a message of the future, religion is a message of the past. They both stand on two different ends in ideology. We must oppose religious politics but not religion."

Socialism Strives On

The final session was chaired by Sivarajan, Treasurer of PSM. The line-up of speakers for the final session with the topic on "Building the Class Forces" included Nasir Hashim, Chairperson of PSM, Kohila, coordinator of the Oppressed Peoples' Network (JERIT), S.N. Rajah, an active trade unionist, Ishak Surin, a founding member of People's Party (PRM) and currently the Deputy Chairperson of the Bureau of Labour and Urban Pioneers in PAS, and A.J. Kattaiah, Editor of the Tamil Version of Malaysiakini.

Farooq Tariq & Nasir Hashim After the five speakers delivered their speeches, representatives from each international participating group also gave their views about the way forward for socialist struggle and about the forum. Farooq Tariq said, "You (PSM) brought together some of the internationals who would not meet each other or sit with each other in their own countries. In Labour Party Pakistan, we have Maoists and Trotskyists, ex-Maoists and ex-Trotskyists. They are all there and they call themselves socialists. We are almost the same because we want to build a party of the working class!"

Jonathan also gave his comments about Socialism 2008, "I will go away very tired in my body, but I will go away with my heart singing, and with much more courage. This room is full of the spirit of struggle… I became a revolutionary in Asia. And I am not interested in a revolution in Britain that does not include a revolution in Asia… Along the struggle, you will make a lot of mistakes, but it is better to do that than to get the theory worked out and do nothing."

A three day event filled with revolutionary passion ended with the singing of the Internationale, in four languages, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil and English. Socialism has shown its vibrancy and indomitable spirit in Socialism 2008 – Malaysia, and it will continue to strengthen through mass mobilization and rising up of the working class all over the world to resist capitalism and to build a socialist world.

Long live the people! Long live Socialism!

Tuesday, 19 August 2008

Pakistan: Musharraf has gone!

By Farooq Tariq (via LINKS)

Lahore, August 19, 2008 -- Musharraf has resigned! Congratulations to everyone on the humiliating departure of a dictator. But he must not be unaccountable. He must be arrested and tried. The top judges he removed should be restored immediately and let justice be done. The Pakistan Peoples Party-led ruling alliance must abandon the economic policies that have been promoted by Musharraf. The neoliberal agenda must not go ahead.

Musharraf survived after December 27, 2007, thanks to the leadership of Pakistan Peoples Party. After Benazir Bhutto's murder on that day, Musharraf was at his weakest. The masses had taken over Pakistan for five days. It was a mass reaction of an unprecedented level. A demand for Musharraf's resignation by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders would have been sufficient to force him out of power. However, the PPP went for general elections instead, giving Musharraf relief.

The Pakistan Peoples Party government took eight months before accommodating to [the] popular demand [that Musharraf resign]. What a waste of time and popularity by PPP! Asif Zardari soon became a leader losing popularity at record speed. The PPP leadership only went on to demand Musharraf's resignation when they reached their lowest level of popularity.

PPP has not restored the judges

Implementing the neoliberal agenda, the PPP have annoyed the masses as much as they could. They have not restored the judges. They have not done anything that is worth mentioning. It was all going wrong. They could not bring the Inter Services Intelligences (ISI) [political police] under civilian rule despite a public official notification.

Then, all of sudden "Musharraf will go first, then we will restore the judges" was the agreement of the ruling alliance of four political parties after countless indoor and in-the-shade meetings spread over three days. The lawyers' movement leaders rightly criticised the decision linking the judges' restoration with impeachment of the president. The restoration of judges would have given a tremendous moral boost to the ruling alliance in its struggle to overthrow Musharraf. However, Asif Zardari is still afraid of their restoration. He wants every move to remain under his control. This is real feudal-style politics on display. "If he wants, then it will be done" is Asif Zardari's philosophy.

Why the wait for eight months to come to a decision that could have been done on day one of the PPP's electoral victory? Rather than a consolidation of power by the PPP at the centre instead we saw it losing power at a fast speed.

This waiting meant more chances for a regeneration of power by Musharraf. His tone began to change. He was once again threatening to go the same way as he had gone on November 3. He was meeting opposition Pakistan Muslim League Q (PMLQ) leaders telling them to be ready within two months. A weak dictator was flexing his muscles, once again, thanks to the PPP leaders wasting time for no reason.

Dirty deal

Perhaps a dirty deal was the reason of this wait -- a deal that was agreed to by Benazir Bhutto and Musharraf before she returned to Pakistan on October 18, 2007, for a power-sharing formula. All the corruption charges against Benazir Bhutto and Zardari were withdrawn under the controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance. While the PPP leadership faithfully abided with the deal, it was Musharraf who was taking the liberty to do something more than that.

But with Benazir gone, the deal was already in traumatised. It was an unnatural, unholy, unrealistic and unworkable deal. It was a deal to deceive each other. It was a deal of the ruling class, by the ruling elite and for the ruling class. It was a compromise against democracy and against the people.

With Benazir gone, Musharraf could have gone long ago. The murder of Benazir Bhutto was not an ordinary murder. However, by sticking to participating in the election under Musharraf, the PPP leaders took an ordinary decision in the political sense. "Democracy is best revenge" was the first public statement of Bilawal Zardari Bhutto, the newly elected leader of the PPP. However, it was not democracy that was taking revenge against the dictator but democracy was taken from the masses by not removing the dictator then.

Failed dictator

Musharraf had lost the power to do anything like he's done in the past. He was a dictator on his way out. He faced failure after failure. He tried to remove the chief justice. He failed. He tried to silence the lawyers' movement by dictatorial measures, but he could not do that. He tried to rig the general election of February 18, 2008, but he failed. He tried to build his political party PMLQ by pumping in massive amounts of money in the name of "development". But he failed.

Musharraf was a failed dictator. He was no longer a family friend of US President George Bush, as both claimed in the past. Continuing their tradition of using dictators like tissue paper, US imperialism declared that calls for Musharraf's impeachment was "an internal matter of Pakistan". Musharraf lost the ability to use 58/2B, the dictatorial constitutional right of the president to suspend the parliament. Who would implement the orders? A bloody military coup would be needed to implement that sort of dictatorial order in the face of rising social and political movement against the dictatorship.

With Musharraf gone, there is no way that the ruling alliance will not be able to restore the top judges. Musharraf's departure and the restoration of the judges will open a new phase of class struggle in Pakistan. The ruling alliance will be tested by the masses when it insists on continuing with its neoliberal agenda. The PPP-led ruling alliance will be naked in its exploitation of the working class. The ruling alliance will be seen rightly as the ruling elite by the masses.

A more determined fight by the working class will be seen in the future with a new leadership of those who have fought consistently against the imperialism, religious fundamentalism, militarisation, for the restoration of the judges and for the rights of the working class. The left parties can see a new possibility of increased popularity if they stand united and in a militant way.

[Farooq Tariq is spokesperson for the Labour Party Pakistan. Email labour_party@yahoo.com or visit http://www.laborpakistan.org.]

Friday, 28 December 2007

Labour Party Pakistan mourns Benazir's tragic death: Musharraf should resign!

Labour Party Pakistan mourns Benazir’s tragic death

It's a murder of democracy. Musharraf should resign

A tragedy wrought by combination of dictatorship, fundamentalism, imperialism

Lahore (PR): The Labour Party Pakistan (LPP) strongly condemns the tragic murder of Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister and chairperson Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

In a joint statement issued here on Friday, LPP spokesperson Farooq Tariq and National Secretary Nisar Shah said: ‘ It is not mere a murder of an individual but murder of democracy and political culture in Pakistan’.

They said it was the duty of the regime to provide Benazir Bhutto with a fool-proof security. ‘This is a failure on the part of the regime hence exposing country to an unprecedented danger and chaos. Therefore, we demand an immediate resignation of Pervez Musharraf and his cabinet,’ they added.

They said the tragedy that struck Pakistan yesterday was yet another expression of the instability created in the region owing to the US presence in the region. ‘Her brutal murder is a tragedy jointly wrought by religious fundamentalists, military dictatorships in Pakistan and the USA’, they commented.

They said Al-Qaida had taken upon itself the responsibility for this horrendous crime according to media reports. ‘But the Frankenstein of Al-Qaida would not have been ruling the roost in Pakistan had it not been created by the USA and pampered by military dictatorships in Pakistan’, they said.

Urging the PPP workers restraint, they said LPP workers were with them in that hour of grief. ‘We must turn this anger on the culprits who plotted this dastardly murder'’, they said. They appreciated Pakistan Muslim League (N)’s decision to boycott the elections due on January 8 and APDM decision to suspend the campaign recently launched for the boycott of elections.
(ends)

(via Farooq Sulehria - www.jeddojuhd.com)