General secretary Labour Party Pakistan NEVER BEFORE in the history of Pakistan has any government, civil or military, banned the traditional workers on the eve of May Day. But this year the military regime formally warned the workers to refran from taking to the streets. If workers wanted to remember the martyrs of 1886 uprising of Chicago, they should old the meetings indoors. Retired General Moeen Haider, federal interior minister told reporters on April 28. The main aim of this, and other similar messages issued in different parts of Pakistan was o stop the rally planned by the Alliance For Rest oration O Democracy (ARD) in Karachi on May Day:
The rally was planned to protest amainst the policies of the present military regime. which is restructuring down sizing and carrying through privatisation to meet the conditions imposed by the IMF and Woria Kank Both these imperialist institueconomic policies of the regime, which is resulting a nassive wave of price rises anc nemployment. Explaining the present government priorities to a three day Pakiscan AgriBusiness Conference held on April 28, General Pervaiz Musharaf said that those not requined wil be relleved from their jobs. He was referring to the 131,000 public employees who would lose their jobs if the present plans go ahead.
Arrests
Over 2000 political activists of ARD Including LPP central chairman Shoaib Bhatti were arrested during the last week of April in a bid to foil the Karachi rally. The main leadership of the ARD were banned rom entering Sind province by he regime. Those who were able to gesto hardani airport were sent back or arrested.
On April 29 Shoaib Bhatti was after arriving in the city by porters were arrested in Karachi.
As we go to press they are still being held. Other arrests the fact that public rallies were not planned there. Those arrested in Lanore incluaing myself were released relatively quickly.
Rallies are planned in support of the detainees in both Karachi Oxai Hussain Ahmed, chief of Jammar-I-Isalmi, the main rel. gious fundamentalist party in Pakistan, while condemning re part of the strategy of the niltary regime to make the regime to make a U-tum from their initial liberal attitude towards the political parties and labour organisations is that its economic policies have During the last eighteen months the regime has tried to World Bank. By doing so, they had to face strikes by traders and anger from workers in both public and private sectors.
May Day would have tocused this anger and so the rallies were banned.
On the railways trade unionists have faced massive repres sion because of their militanicy. ferred to work in far off places as part of the victimisation by the regime.
Mutihida Rail Mazdoor Itehad (United Rail Workers Alliance) planned a May Day rally despite the ban. The leaders of the Immediately transferred in the second week of April, after they addressed a press conference to expose the corruption of the railway minister wro is an ex miltary general. Two of the main leaders of Gul Deraz have not been paid wages for the last 10 months despite a court order in their Labour Party Pakistan has conderned the bans imposed by the regime.. The present regime will not go very far on the road it has adopted. Many governments lowed the anti worker policies of the international financial Institutions have faced great anger from the masses and had The present regime may be able to please the IMF and pleased the masses to a level not seen in the recent past. • Please send your protests to Chief Executive General [email protected] send for forwarding to comrades in Pakistan.
Outlook
gain. This is nonsense. What has compelled the