Leader of Flemish Socialist Party Left Wing condemns attacks on PPP activists in Karachi

Erik De Bruyn recently stood for the position of Chairman of the Flemish Socialist Party, receiving 34%. He stood as leader of the SP.a Rood, the left wing of the party. He has issued this statement condemning the MQM threats against PPP activists in NA-257 & PS-127 Karachi.

On the evening of December 18 two socialist activists Haseeb Ahmed and Zaka-ur-Rehman were threatened by armed activists of the Mutahida Qaumi Movement in NA-257 Karachi.

I consider these as fascist methods just as they were also used during the darkest period of European history against socialists and trade unionists in Europe.

I am the leader of the SP.a Rood movement, the left wing of the Flemish Social Democratic Party of Flanders, sister party of the Pakistani PPP. I received 34 percent of the vote in the recent elections of the chairman of my party and therefore I can be considered as being a very representative Flemish socialist. In this case I am even convinced that I can speak for 100 percent of the party membership in condemning this fascist threat.

We count upon the Pakistani authorities to prove that they want to establish a genuine democracy in Pakistan. We ask the election Commissioner to take immediate notice of this incident and take concrete steps to stop pre-poll rigging in NA-257 & PS-127 Karachi and in the rest of the country, and to exclude any threats against militants of democratic political parties. The reputation of Pakistan in the world is at stake

Yours,
Erik De Bruyn
Antwerp, Belgium
21 December 2007