Pakistan: Successful Karachi regional aggregate of Marxist tendency

Last Sunday close to 250 Marxists gathered in Karachi for a regional assembly to discuss the present world crisis. Many workers delegations were present reporting on the militant mood that is developing among the working class.

The regional aggregate of the Karachi region of the Marxist Tendency in Pakistan, The Struggle, was held on Sunday, September 21, in the hall of the Karachi Arts Council. Nearly 250 comrades participated in the gathering. There was also a bus that brought 40 comrades from the Pakistan Steel Mills.

Comrade Lal Khan gave the lead off on Pakistan Perspectives and explained in detail the crisis facing the ruling classes and capitalism. He explained how Zardari is a new stooge of US imperialism and a new Karzai in the region. However, Pakistan is not Afghanistan and its political and social conditions are entirely different. He also explained the role of the Army in the new changing scenario and how they are battling to defend their perks and privileges and the billions of dollars they are earning through the drugs trade.

He also explained that with the traditional party of workers and peasants of Pakistan in power and world capitalism in one its deepest crises ever, things will not remain the same in the next period. He said that the PPP has no organised structures and the masses come and go inside PPP. He said the PPP was filled with the masses on 18t October 2007 when Benazir Bhutto returned to Pakistan. However, the masses vacated their party on 18^th February after the most poisonously rigged elections in the history of Pakistan. He said a class war is beginning inside and outside the PPP and in the coming period this will grow sharply.

After the lead off there was a questions session in which many comrades asked about the economy, the role of Marxists in the next period and perspectives for the trade union movement. After the questions there were contributions. Comrade Manzoor Razi, who is a leading figure among the workers on the Pakistan Railways and in the trade unions of Pakistan, gave a detailed contribution on the conditions of workers in various departments, especially the Railways. He said that although the masses were expecting a lot from the PPP now they are beginning to understand the real character of the leadership of PPP and they are experiencing their counter- reforms in the economy and the labour laws.

Comrade Riaz Hussain Lund Baloch, president of the PTUDC, also gave a detailed contribution on the activities of the PTUDC, especially the recent nationwide protests in support of Hugo Chavez and the Venezuelan and Bolivian revolutions. He said that our influence in the labour movement is growing and we are winning ordinary workers and labourers in great numbers in Karachi and throughout the whole country. He explained the achievements of the PTUDC in the Landhi Industrial area where the PTUDC have made big steps forward in the Pakistan Machine Tool Factory, Port Qasim, Gul Ahmed Textile Mills and other industries. Also big advances have been made in the SITE industrial area and many other labourers’ and workers’ colonies.

He also explained the activities in other industrial areas of the country. He showed serious concern about the Qadirpur Gas Field where the privatisation process has been started and workers there are in a militant mood. He expressed complete solidarity with the workers of the Sui Gas department and vowed to continue the struggle for their rights.

Comrade Harish from Hyderabad also contributed to the discussion and explained the anger and fury among the youth and workers of Sindh inside the PPP. He told the audience how the masses are in a rebellious mood against the leadership of the PPP and are looking for an alternative.

Other comrades who contributed were comrade Akbar Memon from Pakistan Steel, comrade R. B. Chandio from the BNT, comrade Warsi from the Post Office workers, comrade Zaka from the People’s Youth Organisation, PYO, comrade Nazir from Karachi Port Trust, KPT, comrade Nazir Gondal from the Pakistan Steel Junior Officers’ Association, comrade Karamat from the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation, KESC and comrade Imran from Karachi University.

At the end comrade Lal Khan summed up the discussion and explained the role of a revolutionary party in a crisis ridden situation like that of Pakistan. He also explained the role of Marxists in the coming period and that our international, the IMT, is the only serious revolutionary force on a world scale and we will not compromise before a world socialist revolution.