Pakistan

In this post cold war epoch one of the most significant phenomena which has come to the fore is Islamic fundamentalism. But what is Islamic fundamentalism and what are its real prospects? Although it is not a new phenomenon, in recent times it has attained a vicious and virulent character. Modern fundamentalism in reality is a reactionary culmination of the trends of Islamic revivalism in an epoch of modern world economy and politics.

The conflict in Kashmir has become a flashpoint in South Asia. William Casey, the former CIA director has declared South Asia as the most dangerous area in the world. Three wars, between India and Pakistan, several agreements and years of negotiations have utterly failed to resolve this issue. Apart from the Indian and Pakistani ruling classes the UN and other imperialist agencies have prove their inability to bring about a settlement to the Kashmir conflict. In the last 50 years the Indian and the Pakistani ruling elites have used Kashmir as a political football. Now the chickens have come home to roost. The situation has worsened to such an extent that now this conflict...

A group of revolutionary socialists in Kashmir have decided to set up the Campaign for a Socialist Kashmir, arguing that the solution to national oppression in Kashmir lies in the struggle for socialism, and the extension of this struggle to the whole of the South Asian subcontinent.

"Fifty-three years after its inception the Pakistani state is teetering on the brink. The fissures opening up expose the internal decay of its rotting structures. The economy is in a shambles, society is in disarray and its domestic and foreign policies have hit rock bottom. Successive rulers are forced to admit this but are unable to avert the rapid decline of the state and society. All their efforts only further exacerbate the contradictions and intensity of the problems faced by a bewildered and shocked population." Lal Khan, editor of the fortnightly Marxist magazine Jeddo Judh (Class Struggle) analyses the current situation of the military regime.

On Monday the 20th March, the editor of "In Defence of Marxism" Alan Woods spoke at a public meeting in Karachi organised by the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign. 150 people attended the meeting, mostly leading trade union activists. This is the report which appeared in one of the main English language dailies of Pakistan The Dawn.

This is a translation of two columns by Munnoo Bhai published in the daily Jang, from Lahore, on 21st May 99. Munno Bhai explains the real meaning of charity under capitalism and takes up Bill Gates who recently set up a charity fund. Munno Bhai writes regularly for the Marxist fortnightly paper Jeddo Judh (Class Struggle)

The collapse of the Soviet Union has resulted in one of the most turbulent and disturbed periods in human history. Instead of being the precursor of "The end of history," capitalism is enmeshed in a crisis yet unforeseen. There is not a single region of the planet which is not engulfed in social, economic or political crisis. Capitalism on a world scale has proved to be incapable of resolving this crisis, and develop society further.As a reaction to these crises new, and some not so new, phenomenon have emerged on the political horizons of most countries. In most of the "Third world," "Islamic" countries there is the resurgence of Islamic fundamentalism. This article written in Octobre

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On October 12th Pakistan's army struck once again to take the reins of power directly into its hands. This is the fourth successful coup staged by the army in 52 years of Pakistan's chequered history. Pakistani Marxist Lal Khan looks at the background to this coup, going back to the revolutionary events of 1968/69 and discusses the way forward.

The following brief article has been written on the basis of a telephone conversation with a leader of the Pakistan Marxists at 11.00 am London time, on 13th October.

An extremely important appeal from Pakistan.  Please read and distribute as widely as possible, especially in the trade unions.  URGENT ACTION REQUIRED!!!

An extremely important appeal from Pakistan.  Please read and distribute as widely as possible, especially in the trade unions.  URGENT ACTION REQUIRED!!!

Lal Khan is the editor of the Marxist fortnightly paper Jeddo Judh (Class Struggle), in Pakistan. In this interview he gives an overview of the situation in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and the difficulties and advances of the work of Marxists in the region. First published by New Youth in June 1999

The Indian subcontinent is bracing itself with the threat of a fourth full fledged war .The trumpets of war are being sounded on both sides of the border and a frantical war hysteria is being build up. The situation is tense with rapid troop deployment and movements especially along the line of control, the temporary border dividing the Himalayan state of Kashmir. Lal Khan, editor of the Pakistani Marxist fortnightly paper Jeddo Judh (Class Struggle) provides a socialist analysis.

This is a translation of a column by Munno Bhai published in the daily Pakistani paper Jang on May 25th, 1999, with a circulation of 750,000. Munno Bhai writes regularly for the Marxist fortnightly paper Jeddo Judh (Class Struggle)

Marx explained that in the long run capitalist society would either be replaced by Socialism or it would degenerate into Barbarism. The situation in Afghanistan is a living example of what Barbarism means. In this interview, held on March 22, 1998, Afghan socialists explain the situation in their country after the victory of the Taliban.