Pakistan: Nationwide protests against brutal killing of Baloch political workers

The All Pakistan Progressive Youth Alliance, Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign (PTUDC) and BNT (Unemployed Youth Movement) organized countrywide protests against the target killing of political activists and state terrorism in Balochistan.

The protests were organized in the cities of Quetta, Karachi, Hyderabad, Dadu, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Faisalabad and Muzaffarabad. A forum was organized in coalition with progressive journalists in Rawlakot to further discuss and highlight this issue. Workers from WAPDA, PTCL, Railways, Sui Gas, lawyers from different bar associations and students from various progressive organization participated in these protests.

In Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, a protest was held in front of the Press Club. Participants of the protest raised slogans against the target killing of Baloch Political Workers. Comrade Nehal Khan from the Unemployed Youth Movement (BNT) and comrade Nazar Mengal (Central Secretary General PTUDC) addressed the protest and said that it has been proved that Pakistan is a failed state and is using the most brutal method s of oppression. They said that now the National Question cannot be solved through Capitalism and that a socialist revolution is needed to solve the national oppression by the Pakistani State. They said that we support the right of self-determination for oppressed nationalities but we also struggle for a bigger voluntary socialist federation comprised of different nations.

In Karachi a protest was held in front of the Press Club and slogans were raised against target killing of Baloch political workers. Comrade Faris and Shoaib Umar from the JKNSF, Majid Memon and Rajesh from the People’s Student Federation, Anand, Paras Jan, Zubair Rehman,Karamat Hussain,Mumtaz and Mashooq from the PTUDC along with others. Protestors also extended solidarity with the participants of a protest camp outside the Press Club who are agitating against the kidnapping and target killing of political workers of Balochistan.

In Multan a protest was held at Nawan Shehr Chowk and protestors raised slogans against state terrorism in Balochistan and in solidarity with Baloch masses while the common people took great interest and inquired about the issue from the protestors.

In Rahim Yar Khan a protest was organized in front of the Press Club at 1pm. Larger number of students and workers participated in the protest. The protest was led by Comrade Hyder Chughtai, president of the district bar Hassan Nawaz Khan Niazi, Raees Kajjal from the PTUDC, Riaz Aqeel (local BNT Organizer), Umair Yousaf (local YFIS Organizer), Malik Nadeem (MRDW), Sajjad Shah, Muhammad Rauf (President Revolutionary Workers’ Union), Peer G Ashraf (local political leader). Protestors raised radical slogans against the ongoing military operation in Balochistan and condemned the target killing of Baloch political activists. They put forward the demand for an end to the military operation and state terrorism in Balochistan.

In other cities while addressing the speakers, leaders from workers and student organizations said that they fully support the liberation movement of the Baloch working class and students and stand by them against the Pakistani Army and state. They also condemned American and Chinese imperialist forces who are only interested in exploiting the natural resources of Balochistan. Speakers said true independence from state oppression, imperialism and exploitative capitalist system can only be achieved by joining the workers and youth from all nationalities on a class basis and overthrowing the capitalist system in this region by a Socialist Revolution. Coming generations of this region can live in a peaceful and humane society if we establish a Socialist Federation of South Asia and ultimately the whole world.