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)