The last of the Pakistani PTUDC trade unionists arrested on May Day has been released - May 28, 2001

We have just received the good news that Ghulam Haider, the PTUDC activist arrested in Peshawar, Pakistan, on May Day has been released on bail. We would like to thank all those who took part in the protest campaign. All letters of protest that were received were taken to the trade union activists while they were in jail and this helped enormously to keep up their morale. All those who were released had to pay bail, and they will also have other costs, as we have mentioned in our earlier publications. Now the campaign should concentrate on collecting funds to help pay for these costs. Below we are publishing further messages we have received from different parts of the world.

We have just received the good news that Ghulam Haider, the PTUDC activist arrested in Peshawar, Pakistan, on May Day has been released on bail. We would like to thank all those who took part in the protest campaign. All letters of protest that were received were taken to the trade union activists while they were in jail and this helped enormously to keep up their morale. All those who were released had to pay bail, and they will also have other costs, as we have mentioned in our earlier publications. Now the campaign should concentrate on collecting funds to help pay for these costs. Below we are publishing further messages we have received from different parts of the world.


 

Italy

(1)
The following letter was sent to the Pakistani Embassy in Italy from the Lombardy (Northern Italy) regional executive committee of the FIOM, the metalworkers' union.
From:
Segreteria Regionale FIOM-CGIL della Lombardia,
Via Breda 56
20099 Sesto San Giovanni (MI)
Tel 02 26.222.266
Fax 02 24.02.426 E-mail: fiom@lomb.cgil.it
To:
Ambasciata Pakistana
Via Camilluccia 682,
00135 Roma, (Italy)
fax 06-36301936

To the attention of the Ambassador
Dear Sir,
We learn from an international appeal launched by the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign that last May Day, during several meetings and demonstrations, arrests have been made against trade union members and leaders. Only some of their names are known to us: Shaida Jabeen, Ghulam Haider, Amjad Shola, Wilson.
According to the appeal we received on May 3, all these comrades are still in jail. As members of political and trade union organization in Italy, we strongly demand their immediate release and the end of any repression of trade union rights in your country.We also wish to inform you that we commit ourselves to do every things possible to inform the Italian people of this shameful situation, in which the most elementary right of Trade Union organization is denied.
Your sincerely
Segreteria Regionale FIOM-CGIL della Lombardia,
Sesto San Giovanni, 16/5/2001

(2)
Dear comrades,
below you will find our second message to the Pakistani government, regarding the two comrades of Peshawar. It has also been sent to the Embassy in Rome, Italy. I would like to thank the In Defence of Marxism web site for your efforts in leading this campaign of solidarity with the arrested Pakistani trade unionists and I congratulate you on the first good results. I firmly believe that the Marxists will finally win the struggle.
Fernando Soretes
Bologna Est Radio Magazine 96.4 FM Bologna (Italy)
14.5.01

To: The Pakistani Government /General Musharraf
Subject: freedom for the militants of Peshawar's PTUDC
Date: May 9 2001
We celebrate the release of the PTUDC's activists and appreciate that You quickly recognised their right to freedom. The implication of this are: May Day celebrations should be respected by all governments of the world as one of the most important traditions of the international labour movement.Your direct or indirect act is showing us that an international campaign cannot be ignored by your administration. This is very good. Nevertheless, another question is concerning labour movement activists, workers organisations and political parties, something that You have had to deal with in the past 10 days. We've just heard that two comrades are still being kept under arrest in Peshawar and we urge You to put an end to this unfairness. We would like You to know that those comrades are as important to us as are all the other workers. Please be informed that You will keep reading new letters, similar to this one, from every corner of the world, until the only positive and democratic solution to the May Day wave of arrests is reached: the release of the Peshawar comrades and every single activist of the Pakistani Labour Movement.
We thank You for your kind attention and hope that You satisfy our urgent request.
Fernando Soretes

Spain
(1)

Subject: imprisonment of PTUDC members
To his Excellency General Musharraf
Dear Sir,
We are concerned by the news that six leading comrades of the PTUDC and PPP have been imprisoned during the rallies to celebrate International Workers' Day. It is completely unacceptable for us that in your country people who are voicing the concerns of workers are subjected to state oppression. It is a shame that in your country freedom of speech is not guaranteed to our fellow trade union comrades. The imprisonment of comrade Shaida Jabeen at the railway station of Karachi, before she was even able to raise her voice at the central rally of the PPP, is especially shameful and unjustifiable. Because of her activities on behalf of women and democracy her reputation has spread far beyond the borders of Pakistan. The imprisonment of leading trade unionists is a blow against human rights and democratic transition in your country. Our demand is the immediate release of following comrades: Cde. Shaida Jabeen, Cde. Ghulam Haider, Cde. Amjad Shola, Cde. Wilson, Cde. Shahid Azar, Cde. Mohammed Asraf They are still in police custody, whereas other prominent political and NGO leaders have been released. In addition to this we ask you to stop the victimisation and the raiding of the homes of any PTUDC activists. We will not rest until we receive the news that the personal freedom of the above mentioned comrades is re-established.
We hope to learn of these comrades release from prison.
Yours sincerely,
Lluis Perarnau,
secretary of the UGT (general workers union) at the UAB (University of Barcelona)
Barcelona, May 25

(2)
I have read on the internet of the military crackdown on democracy and union activists in Pakistan, and particularly in Peshawar province. I support and urge the immediate release of GHULAM HAIDER, AMJAD SHOWA & Mr. WILSON, still detained by the military, for public speaking on 1st May, 2001. Amnesty International and the world are watching you. Immediate national constituent elections are necessary in Pakistan, with full democratic rights to all parties and trade unions.
Michael,
An English teacher in Madrid, 14/5/01
The world & Amnesty are watching you,
cc. to R Cook UK Foreign Secretary and to Amnesty International

Austria

To: The Chief Executive of Pakistan, ce@pak.gov.pk
To his Excellency the ambassador of Pakistan
Subject: Imprisonment of PTUDC Members
Dear Sir,
We are concerned by the message that 6 leading comrades of the PTUDC and PPP have been imprisoned during the rallies to celebrate the international workers' day. It is completely unacceptable for us that in your country people who are raising the voice of the concerns of workers are subjected to state oppression. It is a shame that in your country freedom of speech is not guaranteed to our fellow trade union comrades. Especially the imprisonment of comrade Shaida Jabeen at the railway station of Karachi, right before she was able to raise her voice at the central rally of the PPP, is shameful and without any reason. Because of her activities on behalf of women and democracy her reputation exceeds widely beyond the borders of Pakistan. The imprisonment of leading trade unionists is a blow against human rights and democratic transition in your country. Our demand is for the immediate release of following comrades: Cde. Shaida Jabeen, Cde. Ghulam Haider, Cde. Amjad Shola, Cde. Wilson, Cde. Shahid Azar, Cde. Mohammed Asraf They are still in police custody, whereas other prominent political and NGO leaders have been released. In addition to that we ask you to stop the victimisation and the raiding of the homes of any PTUDC activist. We will not rest until we get the news that the personal freedom of the aforementioned comrades is re-established.
We hope to learn of these comrades' release from prison.
Yours sincerely
Martin Stöbich, 15.5.2001,
WELTUMSPANNEND ARBEITEN
Das entwicklungspolitische Projekt im ÖGB OÖ
A-4020 Linz, Wienerstrasse 2
Tel. Nr.: +43 732 65 47 84
FAX Nr.: +43 732 60 00 45
E-mail: Martin.Stoebich@oegb.or.at

Sweden

Sir
We would like to express our strongest protest against the arrests of peaceful demonstrators on Mayday in Pakistan. To demonstrate is a basic democratic right won by the labour movement after years of struggle. We demand the unconditional release of all the arrested demonstrators. We will otherwise raise this issue and expand the campaign more broadly in the Swedish labour movement. We are looking forward to hear about the release of the arrested demonstrators
Sincerely,
For the Social Democratic Södra föreningen (Social democratic party executive),
Älvsbyn, Sweden
Jalle Henriksson,
May 16, 2001

Germany

The following resolution was passed unanimously by the regional founding conference of the new German union, verdi, a merger of five unions mainly in the service sector, Wiesbaden-Limburg area, which represents 20,0000 members in the region. The collection raised the sum total of DM297 for the PTUDC. The resolution has bent sent to the Berlin embassy, the Frankfurt consulate and the government in Pakistan itself. (14.5.01)

Resolution:

This conference declares its solidarity with all brothers and sisters in Pakistan who have courageously demonstrated for the rights of working people on May Day 2001 even under the difficult conditions of a military dictatorship. We condemn the measures adopted by the Pakistani authorities against peaceful union May Day rallies and especially the arrests of demonstrators and union activists by the police. We demand the immediate release of all brothers and sisters who are still in police custody, the dropping of all charges and the withdrawal of all arrest warrants against active trade unionists. We refer to comrades Shaida Jabeen, Ghulam Haider, Amjad Shola, Wilson, Shahid Azar, Mohammed Asraf of the PTUDC as well as other union activists whose name we do not know. We demand the immediate restoration of democratic rights and the lifting of all bans on free and unrestricted union activity.

German wording of the Resolution:

Solidarität mit der pakistanischen Gewerkschaftsbewegung.
Diese Konferenz erklärtsich solidarisch mit allen Kolleginnen und Kollegen in Pakistan, die auch unterden erschwerten Bedingungen einer Militärdiktatur am 1. Mai 2001 mutig für dieRechte der arbeitenden Menschen demonstriert haben. Wir verurteilen dasVorgehen der pakistanischen Behörden gegen friedliche gewerkschaftlicheMaikundgebungen und insbesondere die Festnahme von Kundgebungsteilnehmern und Gewerkschaftern durchPolizeikräfte. Wir fordern diesofortige Freilassung aller noch in Haft befindlichen Kolleginnen und Kollegen,die Einstellung der noch laufenden Anklagen sowie Aufhebung noch bestehenderHaftbefehle gegen aktive Gewerkschafter. Dies gilt für die Kolleg(inn)en ShaidaJabeen, Ghulam Haider, Amjad Shola, Wilson, Shahid Azar, Mohammed Asraf von derPTUDC wie auch für alle uns namentlich nicht bekannten von der Polizeifestgehaltenen Gewerkschafter(innen). Wir fordern diesofortige Wiederherstellung demokratischer Grundrechte und ungehindertergewerkschaftlicher Betätigung in Pakistan.
Adressaten:
Pakistanische Botschaft in Berlin (per Fax)
PakistanischesGeneralkonsulat in Frankfurt (per Fax)
Präsident General Musharraf,Pakistanische Regierung (per e-mail)