Asia

Today a protest demonstration was held in the city of Kasur in the East of Pakistan, to protest against the continuing imprisonment of the Quetta strike leaders, and the government's sacking of 1,125 public sector workers who are on strike. To read more about the ongoing campaign and how you can help, please see the website of the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign.

Hameed Khan, the leader of the Quetta civil secretariat strike, and the other arrested workers are still in jail. In Pakistan the PTUDC has stepped up its nationwide activity. However, international pressure has proved in the past to be decisive in getting the release of jailed trade unionists. Here we present three letters, written by Mikhail Doronenko from the Russian section of the PTUDC, and sent to Pakistani President Musharraf, the federal interior minister, and the governor of Buluchistan. We believe these to be model letters, and we encourage all our readers to follow this example.

Hameed Khan, the leader of the Quetta civil secretariat strike, and the other arrested workers are still in jail. In Pakistan the PTUDC has stepped up its nationwide activity. However, international pressure has proved in the past to be decisive in getting the release of jailed trade unionists. Here we present three letters, written by Mikhail Doronenko from the Russian section of the PTUDC, and sent to Pakistani President Musharraf, the federal interior minister, and the governor of Buluchistan. We believe these to be model letters, and we encourage all our readers to follow this example.

On Sunday, the PTUDC Lahore held a protest demonstration after the government announced the sacking of 1,125 striking government workers in Quetta. The PTUDC demands the immediate release of all those jailed, the reinstatement of all workers fired, and for the workers' demands to be met. A message from jailed strike leader Hameed Khan was read out at the event in front of the Lahore Press Club. The PTUDC has stepped up its nationwide campaign.
See also the Press Coverage of the event.

On Sunday, the PTUDC Lahore held a protest demonstration after the government announced the sacking of 1,125 striking government workers in Quetta. The PTUDC demands the immediate release of all those jailed, the reinstatement of all workers fired, and for the workers' demands to be met. A message from jailed strike leader Hameed Khan was read out at the event in front of the Lahore Press Club. The PTUDC has stepped up its nationwide campaign.
See also the Press Coverage of the event.

This the report from the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign on the May Day activities that took place up and down the country. The main rallying slogan was for the release of the imprisoned strike leaders in Quetta, where Hameed Khan and around 150 others are still in jail, and that the only way out for the masses of Pakistan is the road of socialist revolution. The day was a great success.

This is the PTUDC's May Day leaflet, which the PTUDC has produced along with posters which will be flyposted throughout the country. The strike in Quetta continues, and there will be protests, demonstrations and rallies throughout Pakistan. See the leaflet at the PTUDC website.

The strike of public sector workers in Quetta, Baluchistan continues. Here are two articles that appeared in today's Dawn, the leading English language daily newspaper in Pakistan, followed by a short piece about the background to the strike. The PTUDC thanks everyone who has already sent in messages of solidarity and donations.

We have received the news from Pakistan that the leader of the victorious November strike of civil servants in Quetta, Hameed Khan, has been arrested again, together with other union leaders and protesting workers. The latest reports are that between 250 to 300 workers have been arrested and the newspapers in Quetta have been prohibited from publishing anything about the workers' protests. This is a serious development and the dictatorship seems to be moving towards a greater repression. This is an extremely serious situation and it is essential that we move immediately to protest against this action and to bring every pressure to bear on the Pakistani authorities.

Here we present a round-up of Alan Woods' tour in Pakistan, including a new report of his meeting with PPP leaders in Lahore on March 31 which was reported in the Pakistani media, but which we have not covered here until now.

Here we present a selection of the Pakistani press coverage of the meeting on the roof of the Hyderabad Press Club on March 29 which was attended by over 350 people.

On a blazing hot day, in Hyderabad, Sindh, 350 people attended a packed meeting on the roof of the Hyderabad Press Club. This was the third and most successful in the speaking tour of Socialist Appeal and www.marxist.com editor, Alan Woods, under the auspices of the Struggle, the Pakistani Marxist tendency. At the meeting a Sindhi language version of the Communist Manifesto, published by the Struggle, was launched. And afterwards a play was performed depicting the class struggle with actors representing the workers and the capitalists. The audience included men and women, trade unionists, activists of the Agricultural Workers' Organisation, and many students from the three

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"Inaction is not an option," declares George W. Bush, seeking to extend the "war on terror" to Iraq. But the recent heavy fighting between US and Afghan forces and the Taliban in Afghanistan gives the lie to those who say the war is over. It is dawning on the military strategists that victory cannot be won by air power alone, and combat troops will be required on the ground for some time to come. However, using Afghan forces has proved complicated, as the warlords - newly armed by the Americans - seek to reassert their influence.