Pakistan: “Chavez! Move Forward! We are with you!”

Malakand

Batkhela, Malakand

The largest demonstration was held in Batkhela (Malakand) in which nearly 1000 workers and youth participated. The demonstrators blocked the main G.T Road for half an hour and also burnt US flags condemning the imperialist manoeuvres in Venezuela and Bolivia.

Former District Administrator and PPP leader, comrade Ghufran, speaking at the occasion said that US imperialism fears a socialist revolution in Venezuela and Bolivia and that is why it is using its stooges there to organise intrigues against the revolution. He called on Chavez to move forward and expropriate all the commanding heights of economy and pass an enabling law to end private property.

Malakand is a place where there is a war going on between reactionary fundamentalists and the rogue Pakistani State. The speakers at the demonstration also demanded an end to this operation and also in the Tribal areas. They demanded that the US ambassador in Pakistan should be expelled as a sign of support for the workers and peasants of Venezuela and Bolivia.

Islamabad

Islamabad

A protest was held in front of the Islamabad Press Club in which workers from various sectors and young students participated. Nearly 50 people were present at the occasion. A US flag was also burnt in front of Press Club. Many speakers spoke at the occasion, among them Changez Khan of the Unemployed Youth Movement (BNT), Sajid Kashir of YFIS, Rana Ibrar of the PTUDC and the Chairman of the NSF Adil Khan. The speakers condemned the imperialist actions against Chavez and Morales.

Attock

A rally of nearly 1000 workers of the PWD and activists of the PTUDC and BNT burned the US flag in front of the Press Club here and raised slogans against imperialism. The slogans were "America ka jo yar hai, ghaddar hai" (whoever is a friend of America is a traitor). Comrade Parvez Malik presented a resolution supporting Chavez in which it was stated that from Wana (South Waziristan) to Venezuela US imperialism is killing people and making all efforts to sabotage the unity of workers and the road to socialism. The resolution was unanimously accepted.

Lahore

Lahore

A demonstration in front of the Press Club was organised by the Hands off Venezuela campaign. The demonstrators raised slogans against US imperialism as well the hegemony of the Pakistani Army in the Tribal areas. They raised slogans such as "jernalon ka joy a hai ghaddar hai" (whoever is friend of the Generals is a traitor), "America ka jo yar hai, ghaddar hai" (whoever is a friend of America is a traitor). The speakers at the occasion were the Secretary General of the Punjab Peoples Students Federation, Zohaib Butt and the Information Secretary of the PTUDC Paras Jan. They demanded the expulsion of the US ambassador from Islamabad.

Kasur

A demonstration was held in front of the Press Club in which workers and youth participated and raised slogans against US imperialism. They were holding placards with slogans in support of Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Evo Morales of Bolivia.

Gujranwala

A rally was held on the main G.T Road which turned into a public meeting. The demonstrators blocked the main highway and raised slogans against US imperialism. They were holding a banner which said, "We support the masses of Bolivia and Venezuela and the socialist governments in these countries."

Multan

Multan

Workers from PTCL (telecommunications), Sui Gas, Income Tax department and the textile industry attended the demonstration in front of the Press Club in support of Hugo Chavez. The demonstrators also burnt a US flag in protest. The demonstrators were holding placards supporting the nationalisations in Venezuela. They also raised slogans denouncing imperialist aggression in the Tribal areas in Pakistan. They also condemned the war between the Pakistan army and the Taliban as a reactionary war which is killing thousands of innocent people in those areas.

Kot Addu

Workers and Youth from this industrial area held a protest in front of the Press Club in support of Hugo Chavez. They also burnt a US flag in protest. They raised the slogans ‘Down with Capitalism', ‘Long Live Socialism'. They also vowed to bring a socialist revolution to Pakistan and will spread the red wave of socialism from Latin America to South Asia.

Jampur

Jampur

A rally was held from the Sufi Hotel to the Press Club in support of Hugo Chavez. The participants were holding banners and placards in support of Chavez. The slogans raised were "International Terrorist, USA", "Move forward Chavez, we are with you", "Long Live the Venezuelan Revolution". The District General Secretary of the PPP Rauf Lund addressed the rally and demanded the expulsion of the US ambassador from Islamabad.

Rahim Yar Khan

A protest rally was organised at Railway Chowk called by the BNT, YFIS, PTUDC and Hands off Venezuela Campaign. A US flag was also reduced to ashes here in protest. The demonstrators condemned US attempts at a military coup in Venezuela and expressed unconditional solidarity for the Venezuelan revolution.

Sadiqabad

The demonstration here started from the Press Club and moved to Bhutto Shaheed Chowk in the form of a rally. There a US flag was burnt and demonstrators trod it under their feet in protest. They raised the slogans ‘Down with Capitalism' and ‘Long Live Socialism'. The rally then made a tour of the city and went back to the Press Club where the leaders addressed the rally. The speakers were Vice Chairman of the PTUDC Qamar Zaman Khan, Muhammad Ashraf from the United Sugar Mills, Haider Chughtai from the People's Labour Bureau and Abbas Taj from PTUDC. They condemned the counter-revolutionary efforts of US imperialism in Bolivia and vowed to continue their support for the peasants and workers of Bolivia and Venezuela.

Hyderabad

Hyderabad

A protest was held here in front of the Press Club. The demonstrators hailed the decision of Chavez and Morales to expel US envoys in their countries. A veteran Communist leader and co-ordinator of the HOV campaign made a fiery speech condemning US intrigues in Venezuela and Bolivia. He said that the revolutions of Bolivia and Venezuela have given us enormous energy to carry out a socialist revolution here and expropriate the capitalists who are sucking the blood of the working class. He said it is with the power of revolution that Chavez has expelled the US envoy while in Pakistan the US ambassador is running this country like a Viceroy in any colonial state. The demonstrators also burnt the US flag in protest.

Dadu

A rally was organised by HOV from Municipal Chowk to the Press Club. The demonstrators raised slogans against US imperialism and hailed the revolutions of Venezuela and Bolivia. At the end the leaders addressed the rally. The speakers were Khalid Jamali of the BNT, Ejaz Bhagio and Saddam Khaskheli. Demonstrations were also held in Johi, Shahdadkot and other cities and towns of Sindh.

Karachi

Karachi

A demonstration was held in front of the Press Club. Workers from the Steel Mills, Karachi Port Trust, Post Office, Shoemaker industry and other sectors participated in the demo. Also students from Karachi University and other institutions were present. They raised slogans in support of Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales and supported their decision to expel the US ambassadors from their soil. They held placards praising the efforts at nationalisation, free education, healthcare, food and living conditions in Venezuela. They said that we also want such actions in Pakistan and the only way to do this is to carry out a socialist revolution here. One placard read, "Class War to crush imperialist aggression". They said that if the workers of the world unite then they can overthrow capitalism and all its horrors.

Quetta

A demonstration was held in front of the Quetta Press Club in which demonstrators condemned US military aggression from Pakistan to Venezuela. The demonstrators held a placard saying, "Chavez, the only way forward is to crush the oligarchy". They demanded that Chavez should expropriate the capitalists and overthrow capitalism in Venezuela. They said we will support Chavez in these actions and will struggle to do the same in Pakistan. They said that the only solution to the miseries of the world is a World Socialist Revolution. They also vowed to continue their struggle on the platform of the IMT and to change the world with socialism.

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