Immediately upon hearing of Manzoor Ahmed's arrest the international campaign took off, with pickets, phone calls and letters of protest to the Pakistani embassies in countries such as the USA, Spain, Austria, Germany, France, etc. Here we publish a sample selection of activities we have received reports of, to provide a taste of what was done in the campaign. We thank all the comrades for the tremendous response.
Italy
In Italy signatures of significant trade union and political leaders were collected, among them Gianni Rinaldini, General Secretary of the Fiom-Cgil, (metal workers' union), Gennaro Migliore, President of the parliamentary group of the PRC in the Chamber of deputies, and Giorgio Cremaschi, National Secretariat (Segreteria Nazionale) of the Fiom-Cgil. Petitions were organised and hundreds of people signed up, starting with the following names:
Claudio Bellotti, National Executive Committee, Partito della Rifondazione Comunista,
Paolo Brini, Central Committee Fiom Cgil (metal workers union),
Simona Bolelli, Alessandro Giardiello, Mario Iavazzi, and Jacopo Renda, members of the National Political Committee of the Partito della Rifondazione Comunista.
Serena Capodicasa, Matteo Molinaro, Dario Salvetti, Giovanni Savino, members of the National Committee of the Young Communists, Partito della Rifondazione Comunista
Gianni Favaro, Secretariy of the Prc Federation of Turin,
Stefano Alberione, member of the presidency of the National Control Commission, Prc.
Samira Giulitti, Sara Cimarelli, National committee Fisac Cigil Milano (insurance union)
Paolo Grassi, Regional committee, Cgil, Lombardia
Beppe Lania, regional committee Filcams Cgil (Shopworkers' union)
Orlando Maviglia, regional committee Fiom Cgil, Emilia Romagna
Davide Bacchelli, provincial committee Fiom Cgil, Bologna
Giampiero Montanari, metal shopsteward Fiom Cgil Bologna
Ilaria Pietrafesa, social services shop steward, FP Cgil, Bologna
Francesco Santoro, Piero Ficiarà metal workers' shop stewards Fiom Cgil, Modena
Gianplacido Ottaviano, metal workers' shop steward Fiom Cgil, Bologna
Laura Parozzi, transport workers' shop steward Filt Cgil Milano
Antonio Forlano, transport workers' shop steward Filt Cgil Milano
Pino Marazzi, transport workers' shop steward Filt Cgil Milano
Silvia Ruggieri, call centre shop steward Nidil Cgil Roma
Andrea Davolo, provincial committee, Nidil Cgil, Parma
The comrades also raised the issue at the big demonstration in Genoa on Saturday that was organised to demand justice for the killing of Carlo Giuliani by the police in the anti-G8 demo in 2001.
Brazil
In Brazil letters of protest were sent to the Pakistani Embassy and we provide here the text in Portuguese of some of the letters that were sent:
Ao Excelentíssimo Embaixador do Paquistão
Sr. Muhammad Haroon Shaukat
Prezado Senhor,
Os trabalhadores ferroviários do Brasil representados pela Federação nacional Independente dos Trabalhadores Sobre Trilhos - CUT, reporta-se à V.Sa para solicitar a liberdade do Deputado Manzoor Ahmed e dos demais integrantes da Longa Marcha, presos na manhã de 16 de Novembro de 2007 na cidade de Gujranwala.
Somente o restabelecimento das liberdades democráticas podem fazer com que o país volte a normalidade e o povo paquistanês possa encontrar a resolução para os problemas que afligem o país.
Atenciosamente,
Roque José Ferreira
Coordenador de Comunicação da FNITST-CUT- Brasil,
Bauru, 18 de Novembro de 2007
Ao Excelentíssimo Embaixador do Paquistão
Sr. Muhammad Haroon Shaukat
Prezado Senhor, venho através desta solicitar a liberdade do Deputado Manzoor Ahmed e dos demais integrantes da Longa Marcha, presos na manhã de 16 de Novembro de 2007 na cidade de Gujranwala.
Somente o restabelecimento das liberdades democráticas podem fazer com que o país volte a normalidade e o povo paquistanês possa encontrar a resolução para os problemas que afligem o país.
Atenciosamente,
Caio Dezorzi,
Conselheiro da Apeoesp, Associação dos Professores do Ensino Oficial do Estado de São Paulo - Brasil
Mexico
As soon as comrades in Mexico of the Marxist tendency Militante heard of the arrest of Manzoor they set about organising a picket, which took place on November 16th at 3 pm (Mexican time), with about 30 people picketing the Pakistani embassy in Mexico City.
A delegation met the ambassador (although he refused to speak to them in Spanish) and handed him a protest letter.
For more information see here (in Spanish) and the video:
Britain
Delegates to this year's Labour Representation Committee (LRC) conference held in London on Saturday, Novembere 17, gave unanimous support to a resolution moved by Socialist Appeal on the declaration of martial law by Musharraf in Pakistan.
The resolution attacked the calling of the so-called state of emergency and demanded the release of all those arrested under the measures. In moving the resolution, it was made clear that the trade union movement has been particularly targeted by the regime in response to the recent wave of industrial action to hit Pakistan.
It was also made clear from the platform that a message of support for PTUDC president Cde Manzoor, who was the guest international speaker at last year's LRC conference, would be sent and that his immediate release from detention would be demanded. In opening the international session of conference, Jeremy Corbyn MP also made reference to the need to protest against the state of emergency.
Over 250 delegates and visitors attended what was one of the main gatherings of the left inside the Labour Party during the year.
In Norwich town centre Socialist Appeal students organised a petition against the dictatorship. While Darrall Cozens, a member of UCU in Coventry sent off the following letter:
"FAO Dr. Maleeha Lodhi, High Commisioner, London
"I have just retired as a teacher after 35 years in the profession. For the past 40 years I have lived in Coventry and for the whole of that time I have worked with communities from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh fighting against racism and prejudice and for human rights and equality in society for all.
"Now I find that the government in Pakistan, far from guaranteeing human rights for its own citizens, carries out a whole series of arrests of its own citizens who have done nothing more than seek to express their civil liberties through freedom of speech and the right to march and demonstrate.
"Such actions on the part of the Pakistani government do nothing to challenge those in British society who would wish to see Pakiatani people in the UK treated as second class citizens.
"Through you, High Commisioner, I call upon the Pakistani government to immediately release Mansoor Ahmed MP and other members of the PTUDC arrested in Gujranwala, Pakistan.
Yours sincerely,
Mr. Darrall Cozens
UCU Trade Union
Coventry Labour Party"
Israel
From Mordechai in Israel we got this note:
"Sorry to read about the Comrade Manzoor. As usual marxist.com gives a different view to the one given by the normal news outlets. I saw an interview with General Musharaf, he is a dictator pure and simple. To my surprise Pakistan does not have an embassy in Israel, so I am unable to send a protest. Israel sells military hardware to Pakistan, and advises on "Anti- terrorist" measures. This of course shows up the duplicity of Israel when it says in will not talk to some countries, because they don't recognize Israel. Hope the comrade will be released soon. Plus all the other peoples round the world who are illegally detained because of their beliefs or political
views. (...)
Regards,
Mordechai
Iran
The question of Manzoor's arrest was taken up by Iranian comrades of the Militaant (Iran) as can be seen here (in farsi).
Greece
In Greece immediately upon hearing of the arrest of Manzoor, comrades from three different towns telephoned the Pakistani Embassy and spoke to the ambassador in the name of the "National Committee of Trade Unionist and Members of the Left for the Release of Manzoor and all political prisoners of Pakistan". We told him that we demanded the immediate release of Manzoor, otherwise we would organise big protests outside of the Embassy next week. He told us that he would send a written message on this protest to the Pakistani authorities today. We are continuing the campaign in the schools and in the Unions.
Stamatis, Editor Marxistiki Foni,
Athens, November 17, 2007
Further to this the question was taken up on several University Campuses and the following resolution was voted:
No to Repression in Pakistan! Resolution against the Emergency Rule
Noting that, Pakistan has entered into a new period of crisis with the imposition of "Rule by decree" by the Musharraf dictatorship,
And that, thousands have been arrested after the removal of basic democratic freedoms,
And that, US and allied governments continue their hypocritical support of the Musharraf dictatorship, including up to $10-billion in military "aid,"
And that, the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign (PTUDC), launched by the Punjab Labour Federation, the United Labour Federation, the Progressive Workers' Alliance, the National Railway Workers Union and the National Union of Postal Employees, among others, is a broad-based campaign organizing against the restriction of democratic freedoms and for the following demands:
1) Defence of our trade unions from the physical attacks of the employers. Defend our right to organise!
2) Stop the privatisation and plunder of state industries.
3) For a minimum wage for all.
4) The abolition of child labour.
5) The abolition of anti trade union laws.
6) The abolition of draconian fundamentalist laws against women. Equal rights for women.
This body calls for:
1) The immediate lifting of "Rule by decree" in Pakistan
2) An end to political and military support for the Musharraf dictatorship, no tax-payers money to arm dictators
3) The immediate release of all political prisoners, the PTUDC members arrested, the lawyers and judges that have been arrested because of their refusal to legalize the dictator and all the left-wing and democratic activists.
Solidarity to the people of Pakistan against the dictatorship!
The resolutions was passed in assemblies at:
- University of Economic Studies of Athens (ASOEE)
- University of Mass Media (journalism) of Athens (EMME)
- University of Biology of Athens
It is important to note that in all cases it was voted in mass assemblies of student unions (150-300 attendants). It is also going to be voted in more student Unions in the next few days.
Belgium
In Belgium the resolution below was voted at the Sunday performance of Hei Pasoep, after several of the group's members had already asked about the situation in Pakistan and the PTUDC comrades in particular. This was sent to the Pakistan embassy in Brussels.
Resolution from Hei Pasoep to the government of Pakistan
The solidarity choir Hei Pasoep has heard of the arrest of Manzoor Ahmed, MP for the PPP and chairman of the PTUDC. He has been arrested for political reasons by the Pakistan authorities. Hei Pasoep knows Manzoor Ahmed personally from a joint relief campaign for Kashmir.
We follow carefully the events in Pakistan, in particular the installation of a state of emergency by the government of General Musharraf. We strongly condemn the arrests this involves. We demand from the government of Pakistan a safety guarantee for Manzoor Ahmed and his immediate release together with the arrested activists of the PTUDC and of the PPP. We ask the government of Pakistan to stop the state of emergency and to give everyone the liberty to enjoy his/her democratic rights.
Hei Pasoep is a choir known for its solidarity work, for example against the apartheid regime in South Africa. We have more than 100 members, including members of social movements, teachers, members of political parties and people in public office. If the government of Pakistan persists in its measures, we will further use our position to denounce these acts.
www.heipasoep.be, Antwerp, 18.11.2007
New Zealand
In New Zealand a young comrade phoned the Pakistani Embassy. This is the note she forwarded to us:
"I called the embassy here in NZ about Manzoor. They connected me with the High Commissioner and he said he was unaware of Manzoor Ahmed being held. He said that the National Assembly is dissolved every five years for new elections and Manzoor is not a Member of the National Assembly anymore! He said that there were protests earlier this year and that a bomb went off and killed 150 people and so that precautions are taken and sometimes they "make mistakes". He said that he was not aware that anyone from the National Assembly was being held but that he would look into it and see what might be going on. He also said that chances are he will be released in the next few days if he is in fact being held as I assured him that he was not doing anything wrong in demonstrating. He said something about "taking precautions" due to terrorist activity and when I asked him who the terrorists were, he said Al-Qaeda and that if they don't take precautions then they would run "Scott free". I agreed that mistakes can be made but assured him that Manzoor was certainly not a terrorist and that he is standing up for democracy, human rights and the Pakistan workers' trade unions. He said that he would find out more information as he was not made aware of any of these goings on."
Andy