Pakistan

The strike of the CSEA is still continuing. The Baluchistan Government under pressure from strike and protest messages and the international solidarity campaign has started negotiating with the strike leaders. Yesterday's negotiations failed because the government is not accepting some of the demands.

This morning we have received the news from Pakistan of the arrest of comrade Hameed Khan, the leader of the strike of the Baluchistan Civil Secretariat Employees Association, which we reported on yesterday. This is an extremely serious situation. As the main strike leader, Hameed faces severe torture at the hands of the state. We urge all readers to give this matter the maximum publicity.

This morning we have received the news from Pakistan of the arrest of comrade Hameed Khan, the leader of the strike of the Baluchistan Civil Secretariat Employees Association, which we reported on yesterday. This is an extremely serious situation. As the main strike leader, Hameed faces severe torture at the hands of the state. We urge all readers to give this matter the maximum publicity.

We have received the following message from Pakistan. We urge all our readers to act immediately to protest against the brutal repression of our fellow workers and trade unionists.

We have received the following message from Pakistan. We urge all our readers to act immediately to protest against the brutal repression of our fellow workers and trade unionists.

Report on a PTUDC anti-war meeting held in Quetta, a city close to the Afghan border. American planes and Special Forces are operating from airbases in the area. The fundamentalists also have a strong presence here. In spite of this the comrades of the PTUDC held a successful meeting where the ideas of genuine socialism were explained to the workers and youth present.

These twin cities are the capital of Pakistan. The PTUDC meeting was organized here on the 19th of October. Being a Friday (the holy day of Muslims) it was supposed to be a day of rallies of the Islamic fundamentalists. Yet no rally of the Islamic parties on that day was as large as the anti-war public meeting which took place under the banner of the PTUDC at the press club in Liaquat Gardens in the heart of Rawalpindi city. Three hundred and twenty-five people participated in this meeting. All the main trade unions were represented.

These are the latest reports of the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign's activities against imperialism and fundamentalism. Of particular importance is the report of the meeting in Kashmir, which has always been a stronghold of fundamentalism (which opperates with the support of the Pakistani secret services). A meeting took place in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani controlled Kashmir, and 200 university students organised a spontaneous demosntration to march to the meeting hall. Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign (www.ptudc.org) report.

Lahore :Wednesday 10 October 2001.

The meeting was organized at the traditional left hall and café, the Pak Tea House. About 75 people attended the meeting. The majority of them were trade union activists and leaders. Youth, students and women workers also participated. The meeting was presided by the veteran trade union leader and chairman of the PTUDC in Punjab, comrade Amin Bhatti. The topic of the meeting was: The present war and the role of the working class. Two days before, the PTUDC poster was flyposted in all the main areas of Lahore. 

An anti-war meeting was held by the PTUDC in this highly industrialised town. The topic was "The Present World Crisis and the role of the Working Class". The majority of those attending were trade unionists and political activists. Youth, students and women also participated.

Under the slogan “Only the class struggle can decisively defeat the madness of fundamentalist terrorism and imperialist barbarism”, about 150 trade union workers, students, PPP workers and women attended a meeting organised by the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign (www.ptudc.org) in Multan, Southern Punjab.