From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (A.Wosni) Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2001 15:35:37 +0100 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [L-I] Pakistani left > Labour Party Pakistan National Committee resolutions on present situation > > LPP national committee met at Hyderabad (Sind) for two days on 27-28th > October 2001. 23 members of NC and 6 observers discussed the present > political and economical situation of Pakistan and analyzed the effects of > the imperialist war on Afghanistan on the consciousness of the working class > and its organizations. It also discussed in detail the question of religious > fundamentalism, its nature, possible scenario of future and the danger of > its growth in Pakistan and internationally. > > The NC also formulize LPP position on the present situation and decided to > challenge the danger of religious fundamentalism by mobilizing the working > masses into a peace movement linked with the class struggle. It decided to > organize broad base peace movement across the country along with trade > unions, peasants, civil society organizations, left groups and individuals. > > There will a peace rally at Hyderababd on 4th November, On 6th at Islamabad > with civil society organizations, 11th at Karachi. LPP also decided to > organize an LPP national peace rally on 29th November at Lahore. > > The LPP decided to leave ARD (Alliance for Restoration of Democracy). The > formal decision will be announced on 5th November at press conferences to be > held simultaneously at Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. The main reasons are > the capitulation of the bourgeoisie parties either to US imperialism or to > the Talbaan. Both trends would like to carry war. While, LPP would go for a > peace movement. The question of democracy is very much linked with the > question of peace. The ARD during last few months have become more of a dead > horse and did not implement its own decisions of holding workers conventions > and public meetings. > > The NC also constituted committees to bring concrete proposals to the next > NC for the launching of a new peasant and a youth organization. It also > decided to organize the Women Workers Help Line at national level with units > in all four provinces. > > LPP NC also decided to launch a weekly paper subscription drive for the next > two months. It has set up a target of a 1000 new subscriber for the Weekly > till 31st December 2001. > > Political Resolutions > > We are passing through a crucial juncture of Pakistan history. LPP has and > will oppose the American imperialist war on the poorest countries of the > world. The war is no solution and it is a terrorist act against another > terrorist act of those responsible for 11th September events. > > The American imperialism have killed innocent Afghanis and have forced > thousands to flee from their houses in most disgusting conditions. > > There is no justification of this war on Afghanistan. The real purpose of > this war is to strengthen its hegemony on the world, to control the markets > of central Asia, to heal its wounded and disgraced ego by the 11th September > event and to promote the war industry once again on an unprecedented level. > > Imperialist war on Afghanistan with the full and active support of the > military regime of Pakistan has promoted the religious fundamentalists > forces on an unprecedented level. This has endangered the existence of the > Left forces inside Afghanistan and Pakistan. The result will be more attacks > on minorities, Left forces, civil society organizations and trade unions by > the religious fanatics. We have already seen the incident of Bahawalpur > where unknown religious fanatics in an indiscriminate shooting on a church > on 28th October, have massacred 16 Christians. > > The religious fundamentalism will grow as political power in all parts of > Pakistan but more in Frontier and Baluchistan province. It was observed by > some comrades that many workers and ordinary citizens of Pakistan are > against American imperialism and not in favor of the religious > fundamentalists. But due to the gap and without any other alternatives, this > mood can go in favor of the religious fanatics. The big attendance in the > demonstrations in Karachi for instance is not from the local population but > of refuges from Afghanistan and also the Pushtoon immigrants in the city. > Many students in the religious schools make the main part of these > demonstrations. > > The anti wars movement in Pakistan unlike other countries in Europe, India > and in most countries of the world is led by the religious extreme right > wing. So for, most of the religious students are taking place in the > demonstration but they are receiving more and more sympathies by the > ordinary people who are totally oppose to the American attacks on > Afghanistan. > > The real agenda of Pakistani religious fundamentalists is to organize an > Islamic coup and to take power in Pakistan. There is less possibility of > such a perspective, as most of the military generals with the help of > American imperialism will launch an all out war against religious take over > in Pakistan. This can only happen if the Americans are defeated in > Afghanistan and in a civil war like situation in Pakistan, the military > generals are defeated. > > While opposing the imperialist war on Afghanistan, we will not lend a single > inch support for the fascist Talbaan regime. We will support the progressive > and left forces of Afghanistan. It did not matter if they are very small and > have no real say at present time. > > Imperialist forces have created and organized the religious forces but they > have gone out of control of the imperialist The religious fanatics have > presented a real danger to the very existence of the civilization and the > concessions of the working class internationally. They are the new types of > fascists with medieval thinking and practice. They must be opposed and no > sympathy or any kind of support or alliance should be made with these forces > on the name of combating imperialism. > > The effect of Talbanisation in Pakistan is that many are arguing to close > down the TV. The TV cables are under threat as the religious fanatics are > forcing the cable operators not to show the Indian or Western TV channels. > > The fundamentalism can not be eliminated by the imperialist war on > Afghanistan. There is more possibility of Talbaan loosing its power within a > short period of time. But this will not mean an end of these forces. This > will lay down a basis for more suicidal attacks and anarchy like situation > in Afghanistan and in Pakistan particularly. > > If Talbaan goes than this myth will also go that Allah is with them and no > one can defeat them. This will loosen the grip of the religious fanatics’ > Mujahidin propaganda. They were like money plants but now have their own > basis because of any alternative on mass basis. Comrades feel that history > is not with religious fundamentalism. When Talbaan will loose power, so they > will loose much authority that has become an example for many youth to > follow. > > We can not rule out the possibility of a limited nuclear attack by the > American imperialism in a bid to have a victory in a short time. > > There will be no peace in Afghanistan even if the Talbaan are defeated > decisively. The American efforts in Afghanistan to bring the Northern > Alliance will polarize the Afghan situation more than before. The religious > forces are dominating the Northern Alliance. But once victorious, they will > no go against the US imperialism in the immediate period. They will be more > like Mujahidin supporting the Americans in the eighties. But they will go in > contradictions with the US within a short period. We do not support the > return of King Zanier Shah as an alternative government. The Zahir Shah > return to power will be another set back for the Afghan masses, as this > government will be stooge government of Imperialism more than the Northern > Alliance. > > LPP demands an immediate end of imperialist war on Afghanistan. Because of > these attacks, the fascist Talbaan government has gained in the short > period, the sympathies of the majority of ordinary Muslims in Pakistan. The > only way-out for Afghan masses is to get rid of Talbaan in a revolutionary > insurrection to lay down the basis for a democratic socialist takes over. > The Left groups in Afghanistan must be supported and promoted by all the > international Socialist movement as an alternate to the American imposed > solution. LPP would go along the peace movement internationally. It appeals > to all the international Left movement to take part actively in the anti war > movement linked with the anti globalization movement. But it should not > support Talban and any other religious fanatics groups. It should raise the > plight of the Afghan masses and put pressure on the UN and other relief > agencies to provide the emergency food supplies to Afghan people through > their own net work. > > The economic crisis > > The imperialist aid to Pakistan will not make any fundamental changes in > Pakistan economy. The loss is much greater than the aid offered. The > American imperialism at this recessionary period is not in a position to > offer the aid to Pakistan or to Afghanistan after Talbaan. The US > imperialism can not come up even to the level of the aid in the eighties to > Pakistan military regime at the time. The aid has brought the hay days for > the army top generals, as they will be the real beneficiaries. > > The loss to the export can be up to 50% of the total export of Pakistan. It > is estimated that the loss will be nearly 4 billion US dollars this year. > The main areas hit by this war is the textile, carpets and sports goods. > Many international orders have been cancelled and there are no new orders or > perspectives for new investments. Many industries in Pakistan are closing > down and many related to the exports have closed down already. There are > reports of thousands of workers in the informal and formal sector loosing > their jobs because of this crisis. > > In normal circumstances, the month of October and November are the hay days > for the export business. This is due to the rush of the orders of Christmas > shopping. But most of the orders are cancelled and no new orders are coming > in. These business orders now have gone to India Bangladesh and other > countries. > > The Pakistan economy running on the instructions of IMF and World Bank under > military regime will be hit hard by this crisis. But the workers in the > shape of unemployment, price hike and new taxes will pay the real price. The > problem of Pakistan economy is its incapacity to compete at the world market > to enhance its export of textile, carpets, rice and other export items. It > is problem of productivity and monitory solutions to this productive crisis > will bring new contradicts within the economy. > > Another effect is the drastic reduction of the Pakistan immigrant’s > remittances. Middle East countries have altogether stopped issuing visas to > Pakistanis. Most of the airlines have cancelled their flights to Pakistan > thus bringing a sharp crisis for air industry to Pakistan. There is no > demand for Pakistani labor any more anywhere. > > Effect on Bourgeoisie political parties > > The three weeks Afghan war and US imperialism inability to have a major win > have enhanced the popularity of the religious fundamentalism. This meant > less support for those bourgeoisie parties who are supporting the military > regime and the US imperialism. For instance, Pakistan Peoples Party of > Benazir Bhotto is loosing its vote bank and at present is trying to make a > shift in its position to support the military regime openly. So is the > position of nationalist Awami National Party in NorthWest Frontier Province. > The Muslim League, the main Conservative Party, is divided into two parts. > The ex prime minister Nawaz Sharif group after trailing behind the > fundamentalists is now openly organizing its own public meetings to support > the Talbaan and to oppose the US imperialism. These two main parties are the > main losers of the present crisis and the gain are made by the religious > fundamentalists Jamaat-I-Islami and Jammiat Ulemai Islam. > > > The Future of military regime in Pakistan > > The military regime has benefited from the present crisis in the shape of > economic relief for the time being. But it has lost more social base to > religious fundamentalist forces. There is growing anger against the military > regime at present. If Talbaan loose power in a rather shorter period, then > the military regime can hold on the situation. They have more or less > allowed the demonstrations of the religious fanatics to take place. This is > in the false hope that it might fizzle out. > > The military regime has adopted a duel policy towards terrorism. It is > opposing the terrorism of Talbaan that it has supported for seven years but > it is still declaring its support for Mujahidin, s terrorist activities in > the Indian held Kashmir. This can not last long. The regime has to make its > mind about Kashmir solutions according to the wishes of the American ruling > class. If it does sticks to this present stance, there could be another > military coup in favor of the US imperialism and Musharaf might loose power > to another general. > > It has happened in Pakistan with Zia in the eighties. After Geneva Accord on > Afghanistan in 1988 between the Americans and Soviet Union to withdraw the > forces from Afghanistan, the military dictator at the time, General Zia did > not accept that and wanted an Islamic coup in Afghanistan. He sacked his > hand picked Prime Minister Jonejo on 29th May 1988. But in August 1988, Zia > lost his life in a plane crash in mysterious circumstances along with 10 top > generals and also the American Ambassador in Pakistan. Many Pakistani > believe that it was the work of CIA to get rid of Zia. Along these lines, > Musharaf may loose power and his life if he is insistence of Indian enmity > that he has promoted for long. > > If Musharaf survive this crisis that is more likely in short term basis, he > can continue as president for some years alongside with a very dependent > civil government. The military promise of democracy road map for October > 2002 depends on the outcome of the present war. If Talbaan loose power, > Musharaf may go for these elections in October 2002. > > This election can bring surprise results for the religious fundamentalist. > They were only 9% in the 1993 general elections. They boycotted the 1997 > general election. They made good results of about 15% in the local bodies > elections held during the beginning of this year. But they may go up to 20% > in the elections thus holding a balance of power. In these circumstances, > these fundamentalists may join the civil government, more on Turkish model. > The civil government installed at the time with the help of the military > can come into contradictions with Musharaf. This situation will result more > of anarchy in the parliamentary field but the political power of the > military can remain the same. That is dominant in the political field. > Sharing of power by the religious forces will reduce their popularity and > thus opening a new phase of growth for Marxist forces. > > Contact: > > Labour Party Pakistan > Sufi Mansion, 7 Egerton Road Lahore, Pakistan > Tel/fax: 92 42 6303808 > Moblile: 92 300 8411945 > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Website: www.labourpakistan.org > _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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