Asia

Sadaf Zahra looks at the terrible situation in Pakistan where rapes and killings are done in the name of family honour, and are rarely investigated by the police. In areas where tribal customs still prevail, it is not uncommon for public punishment to be inflicted on women as a form of retaliation against their families. Such a case occurred recently in the village of Meerwala where a woman was subjected to gang-rape under the decision of a tribal council.

The US and coalition forces have been chasing their own shadows for the last few months in Afghanistan without achieving any tangible results. Increasingly frustrated, the US forces are lashing out in all directions, in the vain hope of killing "the enemy". So far the only people killed have been civilians and US allies.

On Sunday, June 30, the PTUDC Karachi arranged a public meeting at the PMA house in the centre of Karachi, the industrial hub of Pakistan. More than 70 trade unionists from all the major industries attended the meeting, to celebrate the release of the striking civil secretariat workers in Quetta. Strike leader Hameed Khan who had travelled from Quetta to Karachi for the meeting received a standing ovation and thanked everyone who supported the PTUDC campaign, in Pakistan and internationally.

On Sunday, June 30, the PTUDC Karachi arranged a public meeting at the PMA house in the centre of Karachi, the industrial hub of Pakistan. More than 70 trade unionists from all the major industries attended the meeting, to celebrate the release of the striking civil secretariat workers in Quetta. Strike leader Hameed Khan who had travelled from Quetta to Karachi for the meeting received a standing ovation and thanked everyone who supported the PTUDC campaign, in Pakistan and internationally.

They were released in the late hours of Friday, June 21 after two months of imprisonment in Quetta's central jail. All the workers have been released unconditionally and the cases against them have been withdrawn. This shows that even in most difficult of objective conditions battles of the class struggle can be fought and won.

They were released in the late hours of Friday, June 21 after two months of imprisonment in Quetta's central jail. All the workers have been released unconditionally and the cases against them have been withdrawn. This shows that even in most difficult of objective conditions battles of the class struggle can be fought and won.

The strike movement in Quetta has taken a dramatic new turn in the last couple of days. A general strike on Wednesday brought the whole city of Quetta to a standstill. This struggle has now entered a delicate and decisive phase.

The strike movement in Quetta has taken a dramatic new turn in the last couple of days. A general strike on Wednesday brought the whole city of Quetta to a standstill. This struggle has now entered a delicate and decisive phase.

Alan Woods takes a look at the unsuccessful military exploits of the British expeditionary force that Tony Blair so enthusiastically sent to Afghanistan, hoping to take on Osama bin Laden and the Taliban.

Lal Khan looks at the developing threat of war between India and Pakistan, and particularly at the question of Kashmir, which has caused three wars in the last 54 years since independence. He looks at the catastrophic effects of the nuclear bomb, and explains the necessity of a class struggle that cuts across national boundaries, to create a a socialist federation of the Indian subcontinent, as the only way of ending forever the threat of nuclear war.

Here is a short update on the situation in Quetta. The Civil Secretariat workers' protests are continuing, and there was also a demonstration of teachers today.