In Defence of Marxism

What is the situation in Pakistan after the brutal assassination of Benazir Bhutto?

Lal Khan: Even before the assassination of Benazir Bhutto the country was moving into disarray and chaos. The regime had lost its social base, the economy was in crisis but now the whole thing is having a spin-off effect and all things are moving very rapidly. The regime tries to impose itself but it is very weak. It is hanging in mid-air. The economy is sliding down rapidly, not only from the point of view of the micro-economic indicators and the living conditions, and Pakistan is struggling with the highest budget deficit, the highest trade deficit, the highest current account deficit, so all the macro-economic indicators are flashing red. These are going to further deteriorate in the aftermath of Benazir's killing. There is enormous pressure on the regime to hold elections. The regime has no real way out nor a serious chance to win those elections. If they hold elections and if they do rig them there will be a social explosion. Society will be more polarised. The masses have already shown they want to change society when they seized Pakistan for 48 hours. This shows the potential of the masses to go for the socialist transformation of society.

How did the Marxists of The Struggle intervene in the hours and days of the assassination of the leader of the Pakistan People's Party?

Lal Khan: Immediately after the assassination we held a meeting of the comrades. We decided those responsible for the assassination should be brought to justice and punished. We produced a leaflet putting a programme forward explaining how this tragic end of Benazir could be avenged. It is precisely the policies of this regime, the character of sections of the state that shows how far they can go in order to assassinate Benazir. We tried basically to turn this grief and sorrow in anger and strength, fighting against those responsible for this assassination and the system which has brought politics to such a state of brutality, murder, all sorts of crime and also terrorism, which have become the norm of Pakistan's politics. That is why we want to change that system. Ever since then we have held protest rallies, demonstrations throughout Pakistan, from the main cities of Kashmir to Karachi, from Quetta to Lahore. The masses gave an enormous response to our leaflets, which give a clear programme on how to move forward.

What kind of demands did you formulate?

Lal Khan: Two days before her arrival in Karachi she had sent a letter to Musharraf. Here Benazir named different people from the state and the whole political spectrum who wanted to get rid of her. We demanded that those people be immediately arrested, prosecuted and punished for this heinous crime. Secondly, we raised that revolutionary resistance and protest committees be formed in all factories, all the neighbourhoods and all the villages through which the whole movement could be channelled and organised and given a direction. Thirdly, we raised the demand that the PPP's founding programme of 1970 should be re-established as the fighting programme of this generation and for the people who are now in the leadership of the party. We also added to this that the PPP demands immediate fair and free elections. Finally, we demanded the PPP to come to power on a socialist programme.

We understand that some of the candidates of the PPP are also leading figures of The Struggle. Can you give us some more information about them?

Lal Khan: The whole situation has radicalised. When Benazir came back the mobilisation of the masses gave her more confidence and strength. She was getting the feel of the masses and was getting more and more radicalised in her speeches and her programme. Now there are several left candidates contesting on the PPP ticket. There are between 10 and 15 comrades who will advance a left programme in those elections and possibly win them.

Have you faced problems with the repression of the state and the fascists?

Lal Khan: Immediately when we produced the leaflet the ISI personnel (Pakistan State Intelligence) came to our headquarters. They interrogated and harassed the comrades but the latter stood firm. In the election campaign in Karachi the thugs of the MQM, a fascist organisation set up by the former dictator Zia ul Haq, tried to kidnap one of our canvassers and physically assaulted the comrades. We protested against this. Due to the support of the unions in Karachi, in Pakistan and in the world we were able to defeat them. Now we have to stand firm against the fascists in the next election campaign.

What will happen on the day of the election?

Lal Khan: In Pakistan things are very unpredictable. Even one day is a very long time in Pakistani politics. Many things can happen, many events can take place. Sections of the state might carry our more bomb blasts, more terrorist activities to delay the elections because they are terrified of the elections. If on the 18^th of February they try to rig the elections there will be an explosion. They cannot afford to rig the elections. If the PPP wins the elections Musharraf will have to resign and will leave the country. The masses will come out in huge numbers to vote the PPP into power. Their hopes are that the PPP will change their life of misery and extreme poverty, price hikes, disease, unemployment and illiteracy. This will put a big pressure on the PPP leadership. Probably the PPP will have a full majority and this will force them to come to power on the programme the masses are demanding. This will create a pre-revolutionary situation in Pakistan.

You advocate a socialist revolution in Pakistan, which is a backward, semi feudal, Islamic country. Do you think this is possible?

Lal Khan: If you look at the history of Pakistan, you have for instance the 1968-69 revolution which was a socialist revolution! Through this movement the people did not only challenge the ruling regime but also the relations of property. When Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto gave the party a socialist programme, this made the PPP the largest party in the history of Pakistan. In the founding documents of the party it is clearly written that the ultimate objective of the party is the attainment of a classless society which is only possible through socialism in our time. This programme and that party got more support and more votes in the Islamic republic of Pakistan  than any Islamic party ever. It is also very clearly written in the 1970 Manifesto and other founding documents that religion in Pakistan is not the issue where Muslims are exploiting other Muslims. So religion is not the question. Socialism was the leading political slogan and tendency in Pakistan in that period. Now it will redevelop with much more vigour and much more power.

What do the Marxists in Pakistan expect from their comrades in the Arab world?

Lal Khan: Because of the cultural and historical relations with the Arab world any movement of the class in Pakistan is also the movement of the class in the Arab world. An injury to one is an injury to all! Hence our support for the left movements and workers in the Arab world. In the Arab world there is also a tradition of revolutionary upsurges. When capitalism was overthrown in Yemen, the leader of that revolution said the Muslims should follow Marx and Lenin. The country was also renamed as the Marxist People's Republic of Yemen. So this has happened in most of the Arab countries. We've seen this in the revolution in Syria and during the period of Nasserite Egypt. So there is a tradition. This tradition is now reviving in Pakistan. If it can revive in Pakistan it can revive also in the Arab world. Capitalism has miserably failed, Islamic fundamentalism is on its way out. It was a temporary phenomenon as we have always said. The only way forward for the masses is on a socialist programme to transform society and create the socialist federation of the subcontinent and the socialist federation of the Middle East.

16^th of January 2008

Message to Arab Marxists from Lal Khan