Asia

The comrades in Pakistan have sent us a photo gallery with pics from the recent JKNSF convention.

Marxist MP and president of the PTUDC, Manzoor Ahmed, recently held a press conference where he announced the launching of a struggle against the Musharraf government's draconian changes to Pakistan's labour laws.

The JKNSF held its 16th convention on September 20-21. Thousands of students from across Kashmir and Pakistan came to Rawalakot to participate. Armed with the ideas of Marxism the JKNSF is united in the struggle for socialism.

In the build up to the convention of the JKNSF the comrades held a motorcycle rally in Rawalakot.

The Struggle publications in Pakistan have released a new book by Lal Khan on the latest war between Israel and Lebanon. The book not only traces through the history of the conflict between Israel and Lebanon but looks at the history of wars and revolutions in the Middle East.

As we reported earlier, the Jammu-Kashmir National Students' Federation-Marxist (JKNSF) has called its 16th convention for September 20-21 in Rawalakot. The comrades have printed 5000 posters, 1000 invitation cards and 1100 copies of the JKNSF's Manifesto, which we publish here along with the programme.

Despite facing threats and state repression the teachers are determined to continue the fight against the ban on their union. The teachers have decided to observe September 15 as a “black day”, when the teachers all across Sindh will hold rallies and protests at their respective schools and colleges.

Aakar Books in New Delhi, India, have just published an Indian edition of Alan Woods’ book The Venezuelan Revolution – A Marxist Perspective. Here we provide the new introduction to the book by Lal Khan in Pakistan and details of the publishers for anyone who wishes to get a copy.

The Jammu-Kashmir National Students' Federation-Marxist (JKNSF) has called its 16th convention for September 20-21 in Rawalakot. The lead-up to the convention will see a massive mobilisation of students of youth all across Kashmir.

The struggle against the ban on the Sindh Teachers' Union continues while repression by the state increases. Today all the teacher's unions observed a "black day" across Sindh with a complete shut-down of all schools and colleges. Student unions also supported this boycott and participated in the struggle against the privatisation of education.

On a peaceful morning 2,000 teachers of the Sindh Employees Alliance, in which all the unions of teachers are united, gathered in front of the Karachi Press Club. They were holding banners and placards condemning the ban on teachers' unions and against the privatisation of schools and colleges. When the rally moved forward towards the chief ministers' residence they were encircled by the notorious Sindh police, which started to baton-charge and use other repressive measures. Read the full report on the PTUDC website.

All the teachers' unions of Sindh decided to hold a sit-in in front of the Chief Minister house on 22nd August as a protest against the ban on the Sindh Teachers' Union. General Musharraf and his toadies decided to crush the protest and started arresting teachers the night before the protest. Thousands of teachers were arrested across the Sindh province and were thrown into jail. Read the full report on the PTUDC website and send protest messages.

On the evening of 20th August 2006 a commemoration meeting was held in Pakistan in memory of Ted Grant. Students, workers, intellectuals, journalists and women attended the ceremony that amounted to almost 200 people.

The ban on the Sindh Teachers Union by the Musharraf government under the draconian law of IRO 2002 was condemned all over the country on 14th August, the Independence Day of Pakistan. The Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign mobilised to protest against this measure. Read the article on the new PTUDC website.