We are publishing here a comment by Lal Khan – that first appeared in the Pakistan Daily Times – on the recent events taking place in Islamabad, where Imran Khan’s PTI in collaboration with Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, an Islamic scholar turned politician, have attempted to portray themselves as leaders of a mass anti-government protest. In reality they are nothing of the kind and have very little to say to the toiling masses of Pakistan.

As thousands reach Islamabad with high expectations of change, the masses at large are bewildered, indifferent and sceptical about all the streaks of the political elite. Speculations of deals brokered by the military chief, General Raheel Sharif, are rife. Pakistan is once again immersed in instability and turbulence.

Protests called by the Movement for Justice, led by Imran Khan and the Sufi cleric Tahirul Qadri under the banner of anti-corruption, demanding the resignation of the Sharif government, are storming Pakistan and are scheduled to hit Islamabad on August 14, Pakistan’s Independence Day. Rumours of a possible intervention by the Pakistani army, intrigues and conspiracies are poisoning the atmosphere of a country gripped by a permanent crisis and a constant in fight among different sections of the ruling class. Here we provide an analysis by Lal Khan.

If it were only a matter of praying to Allah for the masses to end their woes and achieve their emancipation, how easy it would be!

The Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign (PTUDC) and Progressive Youth Alliance (PYA) organised protest demonstrations across Pakistan to condemn the Israeli aggression in Gaza. Below are reports from the demonstrations in different cities.

At dawn on Sunday, June 15 the Pakistan government gave the green signal to over 30,000 ground troops, backed by air force jets, to move into action in North Waziristan. This is the beginning of a long talked about and expected military operation against the many and numerous Islamic terrorist outfits that have been wreaking havoc throughout the country for almost two decades. The terrorist attack at the Karachi Airport in the preceding week seems to have been the final straw.

As we reported last week, John McDonnell MP was planning to issue an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons regarding the campaign against privatisation of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd. We are pleased to produce the text for our readers. The aim of the Early Day Motion is to highlight the issue and to gather support from other Members of Parliament as a means of putting pressure on the British and Pakistani governments. (June 22, 2005)

Gone are the days when on Budget Day almost everything came to a halt on the streets, with people glued to the TV screens or radio sets in anticipation of some major concession for the working masses. After all in those days the budgets did matter. Now that is a bygone era and the masses having little interest in what is being said or are in no mood to be continuously duped by the sermons of these false prophets. Ironically what interest them more than the monotonous theatrics of a budget speech are ‘fixed’ cricket matches. Despite the working masses being written off by the ruling elite, analysts and the intelligentsia, do their instincts not hit upon the brutal reality behind these

On 27th April a mass meeting was organized in Malakand, Pashtoonkhwa to commemorate the 36th anniversary of Afghan Saur Revolution of 1978. More than 500 workers, students, youth and political activists participated in the meeting. The participants travelled long distances on rough roads through the mountains of Pashtoonkhwa to get there. Comrades and activists from Malakand, Shangla, Swat, Dir, Buner, Kohat, Peshawar and Islamabad were in attendance. A group of students from Afghanistan also participated.

Over the past 2 months a mass protest movement has shaken Gilgit-Baltistan, a Pakistani region which borders China, India and Afghanistan. The movement initially started as a reaction to price increases caused by the removal of government wheat subsidies in Gilgit-Baltistan.

For the last thirty-five years the anniversary of Chairman Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s brutal murder by the vicious Zia regime has been commemorated with reverence and a big gathering of the workers and PPP leaders at his tomb in Ghari Khudabaksh near Larkana. However the essence and message of this commemoration has been altered and manipulated by the subsequent leaders. Today it barely resembles the PPP's founding programme, its goals, destiny or the fervour, passion and commitment to take on the oppressive system and its repressive state.

During the , In Defence of Marxism interviewed comrade Yaru from the interior of Sindh province. His hair-raising personal experience in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the story of how he found the comrades of The Struggle, and his indomitable dedication to the struggle for socialism in the Indian Subcontinent and worldwide is an inspiring example of modern-day Bolshevism and a testament to the calibre of the comrades the IMT is assembling around the world.

During the question hour in the National assembly, in a written reply to a question submitted by MNA Lal Chand, the finance minister Ishaq Dar told the house that “from July 2013 to February 2014 the government waived Rs. 320.8 billion to the business class in tax exemptions.” This was actioned in a country whose major social indicators – tax as percentage of GDP, education spending as a percentage of GDP and healthcare spending as a percentage of GDP – are the lowest in the world.

2800 female nurses have won their struggle against the government in Punjab. Despite their brutal and vicious tactics, the government had to face a humiliating defeat.

On Saturday, March 15, 2014, the Urdu edition of Marxism and the USA was presented at the National Press Club in Islamabad. The book, written by Alan Woods, was originally published in the United States. The public launch of the book, with the presence of the author, was a highly anticipated event. Comrades and media travelled from across Pakistan to hear Alan Woods present his latest book in Urdu. 300 people packed the hall until there was standing room only, and three television channels covered the event. Special mention must be made of the participation of dozens of hospital workers and nurses who are currently on strike, and who have been subjected to brutal attacks by