Large PTUDC meeting inside Pakistan Steel Mills commemorating Shaheed Nazeer Abassi

The occasion was the death anniversary of Shaheed Nazeer Abassi. He was tortured to death in the dictatorial regime of General Zia on 9th August 1980. On his 26th death anniversary a public meeting was arranged by the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign (PTUDC) and the Shaheed Nazeer Abassi Foundation. This public meeting was presided by the widow of Nazeer Abassi, Hameeda Ghangaroo, while comrade Manzoor Ahmed, Member of Parliament and president of PTUDC was the chief guest.

On this occasion comrade Manzoor stated that on this day comrades had gathered to pay homage to a great revolutionary. He said that Nazeer Abassi was struggling for a better world but the dictatorship of Zia could not tolerate this. He asked the workers what the dreams of Nazir Abbasi were, and answered that his dreams were that there should be no one in this world that may die of hunger, no one should die of disease and there should be education for all. "Those people who comment that the caravan of Nazeer Abassi went astray or derailed are wrong, but it is true that few people of that caravan got tired but the journey of that caravan has been getting on. This caravan of Nazeer Abassi is not only heading forward in Sindh but also in this country and in the whole world."

Manzoor further talked about the armed aggression of the state against Balochistan. He said that we Marxists are not only against any army operation in Wana, Waziristan and Balochistan but we also struggle against aggression, exploitation and suppression of the state. "I am the representative of the working class and will fight for their cause. Those people who divide people on a regional basis are in fact the enemies of working class." To this he added that today in the whole world there are only two classes: one is the class of exploiters and the other is the exploited, and we are representatives of the exploited class.

"Wherever we see suppression of peasants and the proletariat we will stand up against it." Manzoor said that workers know how champions of national rights are sitting in the lap of army rulers. He said that Musharraf, like his American imperialist master, miscalculated the upsurge in Balochistan. Before this, America underestimated the resistance in Afghanistan and Iraq.

He said that rulers wage war when they want but ending war and getting the desired result do not follow their plans.

Manzoor said that he had raised the question before his party that the role of army would not end by just giving statements or by signing a charter for democracy. The army in this country is one of the biggest investors. It has invested in transport, real estate, and education, even in making food items like mineral water. Therefore only demanding that the army has nothing to do with politics would not work. Now the only way to end the role of the army in the politics is by means of a socialist revolution. "Our rulers want to sell the whole country, therefore the workers of this country have to get united."

The MNA condemned the privatisation of steel mills and termed the privatisation of Pakistan steel and PTCL,WAPDA, KESC  and other assets as a great blunder and said that PTUDC is struggling not only to stop the privatisation of steel mills but to stop the whole process of privatisation. He told the workers that through privatisation the rulers want to sell the assets of the workers to the bourgeoisie. There is no room for reforms in this system and only a socialist revolution can save the workers from miseries and suffering. 

"All opposition parties have supported me and have asked me to table the motion before parliament. I have struggled on that platform before anybody had the courage to talk against privatisation. Parliament is a rubber stamp of the army. In parliament one can only speak for workers but one cannot win the rights of the working class. For winning we have to unite the workers against the ruling class. Only then we can bring revolution and win the war."

He said that after the 1968-69 revolutions, the working class of our country made a tradition in the form of the Pakistan Peoples Party and whenever they get the opportunity they put their weight behind the PPP. We are working in the Peoples Party because it is the party of the working class, and once again the working class will look at its traditional party to deliver.

Comrade Tariq Watan Yar and Akbar Memon hosted the program while Comrade Riaz Lund thanked all participants for coming on behalf of the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign.

Comrade Jam Saqi spoke on the struggle of Nazir Abbasi. He said that he worked along with him and was impressed by his commitment and dedication for the struggle. Nazir Abbasi struggled for the emancipation of humanity till his last breath.

Comrade Anwar Peerzada, a progressive writer and journalist, spoke on the book written by Hameeda Ghanghro on the life and struggle of Shaheed Nazir Abbasi. The preface of this book is written by noted columnist Munno Bhai. Comrade Zarqa Abbasi, the daughter of Nazir Abbasi, presented this book to comrade Manzoor in front of a jubilant crowd.

In the end comrade Hameeda Ghangro spoke eloquently on the history of workers' struggles in the steel mills and other areas. She told the workers about the struggle of comrade Manzoor in the National Assembly and how the PTUDC is defending the rights of workers in this country and all over the world.

This program was a great milestone in the struggle against the privatisation of steel mills and all the workers and trade union leaders present there vowed to continue this struggle till socialist victory.

Report by: G.R Soomro from Karachi