Anti-war rallies in Lahore and Multan (Pakistan)

Lahore antiwar rally

By Sadaf Zahra in Lahore, Pakistan

On January 7, 2003 a demonstration against a possible US attack on Iraq was held at the "Press Club" in Lahore. It was jointly organised by Youth for International Socialism, Pakistan (YFIS-Pakistan) and the Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation (JKNSF). It was the first protest demonstration in Pakistan on this issue.

The people taking part in the rally chanted slogans against US aggression in Iraq: "Down with US imperialism", "Only class struggle can defeat US Aggression", "Class war to stop imperialist war", "Workers of the world unite"

The organisers of the YFIS spoke at that demonstration. They said that this coming war is aggression and intervention on the part of US imperialism. They also explained that we can only defeat US imperialism through the class struggle. Almost every newspaper in Lahore covered the demonstration.

January 20, 2003

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Anti-war demonstration in Multan, Pakistan

By Asad Pitafi, in Multan, Pakistan

A protest demonstration against the imperialist aggression in Iraq was organised under the banner of Youth for International Socialism-Pakistan here in Multan. Workers from trade unions in Suinorthern Gas, Pakistan Telecommunications, Powerlooms, Wapda, Wasa, members of the People's Student Federation, the People's Youth Organisation, the Pakistan People's Party, and also members of the Multan District Bar Association and female political activists participated in the demonstration. There were anti-war, and anti-imperialist banners and posters. The participants shouted slogans against the barbarism of US imperialism and its allies. Many youth, students, trade unionists, and PPP leaders spoke on the issue and said that the Bush-Blair axis represents barbarism on a world level. They explained that capitalism represents real terrorism on a global level. In the name of defending so-called civilisation the imperialists are implementing disastrous policies in order to save themselves from the crisis of their own system. That is why they are playing war games. But the real war that is taking place is between the ruling class and the workers, not between countries or regimes. The working class is well aware of these imperialist strategies and it has begun to understand that capitalism is the real source of all terror. That is why mass protest demonstrations against the madness of war are taking place. They reveal the real mood and anger of the workers in the USA, Britain and in other countries worldwide. It also expresses the awakening of consciousness of the world working class.

Safdar Abbas (PPP), Raja Yasir (PSF), Hashim Babur (PYO), Nadeem Pasha (YFIS-Pakistan), Asif Kareem (YFIS-Paksitan), Babur Soikarno (Multan Bar Association), Asad Pitafi (PPP) Aslam Ansari (PTUDC) were the speakers.

January 19, 2003