The Unemployment Youth Movement (BNT) was recently set up in the district of Rahim Yar Khan in Pakistan. Here we provide a brief report.

Over the weekend the Pakistani Marxists held a cadre school as part of their work of building the framework of the Marxist Tendency in Pakistan. Here we provide a brief report and some pictures.

Bolshevik day, as the anniversary of the Russian revolution is known here, was celebrated with great enthusiasm across Pakistan in 30 cities in which large numbers of workers, peasants and youth participated. Here we provide reports and pictures sent in by the comrades locally.

Workers at the Steel Mills in Karachi have taken up the struggle once again for decent wages and proper contracts for the daily wage workers. In spite of attempts to stifle their struggle, the workers are determined to achieve their demands.

The sitting minister for privatisation, Naveed Qamar, has announced 12% ownership shares to half a million workers in the privatisation of 80 nationally owned institutions. Deceiving the working class into becoming owners is a condemnable conspiracy to paralyse the workers and to drive them away from the class struggle, which is the only path to their emancipation.

The workers of PTCL (Pakistan Telecommunications Corporation Limited) have been protesting and staging a sit-in at PTCL Headquarter, Islamabad, for the last 12 days on the issue of the fulfillment of the commitments made to them by the management. Their protest has been brutally supressed by the state and management.

On August 14^th, 2009 when the ruling classes were celebrating Independence Day the unemployed youth movement held protests throughout the country under the main slogan “jab tak janta bhooki hay, yeh azadi jhooti hay” which means ‘While the people are hungry, there is no real independence!’

The Unemployed Youth Movement (BNT) in Pakistan held a nationwide campaign of recruitment camps for unemployed youth. Huge numbers participated.

A bitter struggle has broken out at the Merck Marker in Quetta, Pakistan. Workers demanding decent wages and conditions have come up against brutal repression, arrests and beatings. We are appealing for solidarity from workers of all countries.

Workers at the Pak Arab Refinery have been summarily dismissed. The PTUDC has intervend to organise the workers and organise the fightback.

Two comrades of the PTUDC who were illegally arrested on June 22 while distributing leaflets outside the Karachi Pakistan Steel plant were released on June 24. The PTUDC had organised beforehand protests in several cities demanding the release of the comrades, as for example in front of the Hyderabad Press Club. Four comrades had also been on hunger strike in Sukkur.

Two comrades of the PTUDC have been illegally arrested whilst distributing leaflets outside the Karachi Pakistan Steel plant. They have been beaten and subjected to torture by security personnel and are currently being held at a police station. The PTUDC are demanding their release and asking for solidarity from workers around the world.

The Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign held a conference against privatisation on 31 May at the Karachi Press Club. Workers and trade union leaders who had come from industrial areas of Karachi and other cities of Sindh attended the conference in big numbers.

Activities in the Rangmala camp are continuing with revolutionary zeal and fervor. The committees established for different tasks are working to help the people in the camp, who are living in the most dangerous conditions.

We provide an update on the situation in the relief camps set up in Swat by the PTUDC. In spite of threats from the authorities the comrades continue with their activities, of both aid and political education.