[Reader-list] Fwd: LPP Message of Solidarity at Berlin demo

[Harsh Kapoor]

FYI the forwarded message below from Pakistan
xxx
Harsh.

===============

[14 October 2001]

Dear Friends,

Please find enclosed the message of Labour Party Pakistan to the Berlin
Demonstration on 13th October. Our German friends read it in the demonstration.
Over 50,000 participated in this massive demonstration which has made
headlines in Pakistan media today. Leaflets to support the LPP were 
also distributed
in the demo.

LPP is very much thankful to the comrades of the supporters of the magazine
WasTun for this solidarity.

  Fraternally,

Farooq Tariq

            
             Support the peace-movement in Pakistan!

The media is today mainly reporting about protests from the fundamentalists,
when they want to show the mood or tell something about the actual situation
in Afghanistan or Pakistan after the military attacks by the US.
            
We would like to break this one-sided point of view and the blockade of the
media information by this report from Farooq Tariq, leader of the LPP in
Pakistan. It shows the real background of the military attacks and which also
shows that also in Pakistan there is a peace-movement like in Germany. 

This peace movement is much more than only the protests by the
fundamentalists, but which is in contrary opposing the war and the 
fundamentalists - in a
way the US never did. In fact the US always supported the fundamentalists,
while the peace-movement activists in Pakistan had and have to fight against
them as well as against the war and the military regime in their own country.
For the today peace-demonstration here in Berlin we therefore want to share
with you a declaration we received by Farooq Tariq, the leading member of the
Pakistan Labour Party (LPP):           

Support the campaign: Solidarity with the peace-movement in Pakistan
  Contact in Germany: sonjaengelhardt1 at aol.com    
www.wastun.net/pakistansoli/


Message of Labour Party Pakistan to Berlin Peace demonstration (13-19-2001)

We, the Labour Party Pakistan, condemn the US war against the people of
Afghanistan. The US has already announced expansion of these attacks against
other countries and in this way against other innocent people in the poor
countries of the world. We condemn the terrorist attacks, which took 
place on the
11th September, but we also condemn the economic terror, which is practiced by
countries like the US until years and years against the poor countries of the
world. And this is the economic terror by IMF and World Bank, which forces
their economic conditions to all of the poor countries. It means that the poor
countries are forced to privatize, to dismiss the workers and in this way,
bring again poverty and misery to the people, which "helps" in the end to put
these people in the hands of the fundamentalists...

And we also condemn the hypocrisy of the US in the way they try to justify
their war. Pakistani ruling class during the Cold War was an apple of US eye.
A trust worth ally against Soviet Union, Pakistan under its corrupt ruling
class was generously granted IMF, World Bank loans and grants. The process
reached its peak during 1980s when the USA was engaged in Afghanistan. Pakistan
became third largest recipient of US aid after Israel and Egypt. But these
enormous sums of money did not improved in any way the miserable living
conditions for the working masses. These grants did end up in 
offshore bank accounts
of military generals, bureaucrats and corrupt bourgeois politicians.

Then Pakistan was no more needed as a base camp against Soviet Union. Now
was the time to 'pay back' the loans. But the industrial base in Pakistan is
very week. Debt retirement is possible only by IMF dictated 'economic
reforms’ namely increased taxation, privatization and mass 
redundancies of
public sector employees, an end to state subsidies. These so-called reforms
brought nothing but misery, poverty and joblessness to the people. 
During last 20
years, poverty has doubled in Pakistan. The per capita income in Pakistan that
was $ 460 in 1990 is now $340. Forty per cent of Pakistan's annual fiscal
budget goes to army.  Another 40 per cent go to debt retirement.  Pakistan has
paid $12 as interest, for every $1 it has loaned!

  Since the military took over in October 1999, the life of the workers and
peasants became even worst what it was before. It carries out the IMF and
World Bank instructions and deprives the working class of its trade union and
democratic rights. This is a fact in Pakistan since 1999 - since the military
coup of general Musharaf - the new good friend of the US-government, who is now
needed to help the US-military attacks which are cynically called "permanent
freedom".

For the Pakistan people, there had been not existing any kind of permanent
freedom since the military coup in 1999. Demonstrations had been banned and
unions’ rights have been destroyed! Within a couple of months, the
military regime becomes damn unpopular among masses was loosing its social base
quit rapidly. A democracy movement started building up and on August 2001, the
military dictator announced a schedule for elections and restoration of
democracy. But the terrorist attack and its turn towards American 
Imperialism have
earned him good new political friends. The USA would like to have an
un-elected, dictatorial government in Pakistan during would-be Afghan war and
Traders, rich people and bourgeois parties see a lot of opportunities 
to make money
in pursuing Musharaf policy and the policy of the US.            

The demands for the restoration of democracy will not be put anymore.
General Musharaf explain his support for Americans with the worsening economic
conditions of Pakistan and the benefit Pakistan can get from his 
total surrender.
But the Pakistan people know: Again it will make the life of the rich and
the ruling class better and not the life of the workers. Which is much more
worse than this: now a total support for the American foreign policy can result
in death of hundreds of thousands of innocent citizens and military men,
inside Afghanistan and in Pakistan as well. A new war by the American 
on the name
of curbing terrorism can start a new era of terrorism and counter terrorism.
            

The US in the past has supported all sort of dictators and religious
fanatics. This was on the name of stopping the offence of communism. 
Now to bomb
Afghanistan, they are all out to support the military regime of Pakistan in
economic and political terms. They have now forgot the fact that what they are
dealing in Pakistan is an undemocratic military regime which has also harbored
the Talban in the past - like the US have done it by themselves. With the
active help of Pakistan and passive support of the Americans, Talban took over
Kabul. This was to install a “strong” government in Afghanistan,
which can guarantee a safe passage to the oil pipeline from Central Asia to
Indian subcontinent and other areas.            

Osama Bin Laden is a bye product of the American State terrorism over the
years and a product of the joint activities of the Bush-family and the family
of Bin Laden, which have common oil companies. Innocent citizens have paid the
price with their lives of these fanatic policies. So it is more the case to
oppose all sort of terrorism, on state level or on individual level.  The
terrorist attack on American cities has provided an excuse for the Americans to
attack Afghanistan. But it will not solve the question of terrorism and will
not bring any peace or stability. All the talk of a world campaign against
terrorism will not bring any positive results. It can only lead to more
bloodshed of innocent citizens.

There has been growing anger among many Muslims here in Pakistan about the
military total cooperation with the Americans. Demonstrations and rallies have
been increasing day by day all over the countries. The religious fanatic
parties are exploiting this wave of sympathies. And this is not showing in the
media’s - there is also a new peace-movement arising, which has nothing
to do with the fundamentalists but is fighting against these forces as well.
In this new peace-movement in Pakistan, the women and the LPP are standing
in the frontline: They are fighting together against the military attacks by
the US against Afghanistan. And they are fighting together against the
military regime in Pakistan, against globalization and the economic 
dictatorship by
IWF and World Bank - and against the religious fundamentalists... But they
need the help and support of the international peace- and workers-movement!   
        

On the 25th September, a peace-really took place in Lahore, one of the
biggest cities in Pakistan. The “Women’s Workers Help 
Line”, the
LPP and the “Joint Committee for peoples rights” organized it.
This was a demonstration against terrorism and religious fundamentalism, which
in the same way sent a warning to the US not to start a war against
Afghanistan. This demonstration was able to take place although there 
has been a ban
on demonstration by the military dictatorship.            

For Monday, the 15th October, there will again another peace-really take
place, which is organized by the Labour Party Pakistan and some women and human
rights organizations. But this new peace-movement in Pakistan has to deal
with several enormous challenges, because it is fighting on several fronts in
the same time: Against religious fundamentalism, against terrorism, against the
own military dictatorship and against the war of the US against Afghanistan.
It needs support! Everybody who wants to know more about the peace- and
workers-movement in Pakistan and who wants to help should look at:       

      www.labourpakistan.org.

Financial help is very necessary and should be send to:

             Education Foundation Donations
             Foreign currency account (US Dollars)
             Account number 1161774808090
             Standard Grindlays Bank, Gulberg Branch
             Main Boulevard, Gulberg,  Lahore, Pakistan

Fraternally,
Farooq Tariq,
General Secretary Labour Party Pakistan"