Successful antiwar meetings and protests in Pakistan

After the US aggression on Iraq began, YFIS-Pakistan and the PSF (People’s Student Federation) organised three rallies outside the university premises. This enthused the students and they decided to arrange and organise a protest and rally inside the university. Our systematic work over a long period has borne fruit.

Marvellous antiwar rally and protest in Bahaudinzakriya University, Multan

The Zia dictatorship in 1984 banned student politics and student unions in Pakistan. All the so-called “democratic” (in reality corrupt) regimes that followed on from the dictatorship continued this policy deliberately. In all educational institutions, everything was organised to try and make it impossible for students and youth to be active in politics. On buses, trains, in hotels, restaurants, on the streets, the warning that "political discussion is banned" was posted all over Pakistan. All political parties and groups were in an unholy alliance over this issue and it was very difficult to break this down. But as we Marxists predicted, events would transform the consciousness of people, despite all the political and cultural hurdles.

This is what is happening now. All the so-called democratic and political forces are still trying to maintain the status quo on the political scene. This is especially the case with the traditional Pakistan People’s Party leadership. Its right wing Social-democratic leadership is playing tricks with its own workers (and with the masses), especially with its youth and student wings. It was interesting to note that the party leadership’s policy on the US aggression on Iraq is "we are against the war but not against the USA". Which means they are not against US imperialism!


YFIS in Multan

This hypocrisy is criminal. Their pro-imperialist position has provided room for the extremist fundamentalist elements. Fortunately the masses are well aware of their historical role. They have not forgotten that these extremists and fundamentalists were political and moral allies of US imperialism back in the 1980s during the Afghan war against the Russians. So in spite of all their efforts, and their propaganda, the masses are not attracted to them. These elements are sponsored and supported by the military and the media in Pakistan. Therefore to an outsider it could appear that they have more support than is actually the truth.

The real position is totally different and this was openly demonstrated today here at the Bahaudinzakriya University in Multan (Pakistan). This is the largest university in the Southern Punjab, with 8000 students. After the US aggression on Iraq began, YFIS-Pakistan and the PSF (People’s Student Federation) organised three rallies outside the university premises. This enthused the students and they decided to arrange and organise a protest and rally inside the university. Our systematic work over a long period has borne fruit. Our political ideas and views have become widely accepted and respected. Proof of this is that our comrades were asked to arrange and organise this historical event. This is the culmination of 19 years of experience and now the students have become politicised and pushed into activity on this burning issue.

Although there were some elements who were trying to dampen the mood of youth when the rally began the mood became a very angry and militant one. After a 19 year gap in political militancy the thirst for slogans and a programme was clearly there for everyone to see. It went beyond our wildest expectations. Students, both male and female, professors and staff members, were all on the rally. They were chanting revolutionary slogans, such as “Down with imperialism. Down with capitalism. Asia is red. No war but the class war.”

The demonstrators marched through the whole University, and its enthusiasm broke the long years of silence. At the end of the march the demonstrators gathered and professors and students delivered their speeches on the issue and declared their solidarity with the Iraqi people. They also thanked and saluted all those protesting against the aggression, in the USA, the UK, in Greece, Italy, and Spain and all over the world.

This was just the beginning. When we finished many students gathered around and asked for the follow-up immediately. Their comments were that "We need education and guidance", "we want to know what’s going on" and "we want change". It was decided to arrange a meeting on this a week later. YFIS-Pakistan and the PSF in the university are working to raise their political profile among the students. We are planning a series of study circles and discussions and we will definitely get more attention and attract even larger numbers.

With Bolshevik regards,
Asad Patafi,
Multan, Pakistan
April 2, 2003.

Successful antiwar meetings with trade union leaders and women in Multan 

After the marvellous congress of The Struggle at Lahore, which gave all the comrades the courage and will to fight on, when we got back to Multan we received an invitation to attend a meeting from an important trade union leader, who has recently won a referendum in his workplace with a vast majority. He had arranged a meeting of trade union leaders, all of them main office bearers belonging to 19 different government departments, here in Multan.

Comrades Asad and Aslam were there to introduce the meeting and represent the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign (PTUDC) and present its programme. The meeting was opened by an introductory speech by comrade Asad. He spoke about the imperialist aggression in Iraq and also about its consequences. He linked this to what was happening among the working class all over the world. He explained about the growing movement and the resentment of the working class and youth, fighting against this aggression in the USA, Europe and elsewhere in the world. He asked these trade unions leaders to join in and take part in this struggle of the world working class. He also explained that so long as the capitalist system still exists, the world would have to face this brutality over and over again. He explained that only one solution is possible. To save life itself and the planet this horrendous capitalist system has to be overthrown through the class war, and that the workers and their leaders have to play a key role in this.


Protest in Bahaudinzakriya University 

Those at the meeting agreed to this position and promised to do whatever they could. In this regard they asked the comrades of the PTUDC to give them a date on which to organise a protest and solidarity action with the movement against the war. So they unanimously decided to organise a rally on Wednesday, April 2, at 10am from Mda Chowk to Kutchehry Chowk. It will be the first time in the history of Multan that the trade unions are united in such numbers around a world issue. They were very thankful to the comrades for calling them to a meeting on such political and economic issues.

Shah Wali Rajput was our host and has recently won the whole panel in the Staff Union (CBA) of the Multan Development Authority. He spoke introducing the PTUDC and thanked us and welcomed this kind of activity. Khalid Javed Sanghra, president of the All-Pakistan Clerk’s Association, Multan branch, also addressed the meeting and paid tribute for calling it. Other participants were Rashid Hussain, MDA., Razaq Baloch, technical wing of the APCA Multan, Hamid Raza, Building Dept., Javed Iqbal chair and gen. secretary MTA Multan, Rana Iqbal Noon, president APCA Agriculture Dept., Mukhtar Ahmad Rathore, president Health Dept., Zafar Iqbal Awan, Health Dept., Khalid Mahmood, chairman of the MDA workers’ union, Bakht Baidar Gill, president MDA workers’ union., Mujahid Hussain Pasha, deputy gen.secretary WASA Multan, Javed Ismaeel, president Anjuman Patwariyan [Revenue Dept], Mussawar Hussain Naqvee, president Punjab Agricultural Engineering Labour Federation, ch. Yaqoob, SV, President of the AMBREE labour union, Zaheer Mohammad Khan, gen. Secretary of the Multan AMBREE Labour Union, and comrades Abdulla, Asad Patafi and Aslam.

We hope this first joint mass activity will finally open the door of the working class towards political thinking and activity, and bring them closer to the ideas of Marxism. The ice is melting, and we have to do our best to move forward towards our goal of transforming society. The people are looking for the truth and they want change. We could see that today. We gave them our leaflet on IRO 2002 and some other literature, which was received with overwhelming enthusiasm.

Our second big success involved our work among women. On returning from Lahore comrade Nasreen Taj [Quetta] went on a speaking tour of Multan. We managed to organise two meetings, one in a working class area, Bava Safra. Along with Nasreen, there was also comrade Anam. After this meeting several women decided to join us in the struggle for socialism. The second meeting was arranged by comrade Zeenat from the Bahaudinzakriya University. This meeting was also addressed by Nasreen. She spoke on current and burning issues. The female students were inspired by this meeting as it was the first time that a woman had come to talk to them on such issues as the war and the crisis of capitalism and they agreed that they need to read more and find out more about our ideas and struggles.

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