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Thousands
of Pakistani religious elements including the young students have
taken to street all over Pakistan on the first day of bombing
Afghanistan. At Lahore, over a dozen small and big demonstrations
were seen organized by the
religious parties. Peshawar and Quetta, the two cities close to
Afghanistan, have particularly seen massive demonstrations. Police
tried to break the demo y tear gas and beaten charge at both
places.
Talbaan claimed over 30 dead during the cruise missiles attack by
the forces of UK, GERMANY Russia Australia and US. The irony of
history is that the five richest nations of the world are eager to
destroy the poorest nation on
earth by force and with the most sophisticated weapons. Pakistani
newspapers reported the possibilities of using Neutron bombs if
the presently used weapons do not bring the positive results.
Would these demonstrations be able to take the mass with them in
the coming days? What future for the military regime in Pakistan?
What is the general mood among ordinary Pakistanis after the US
attacks? And above all what future of the Left movement in
Pakistan? These are some of the questions that will be examined in
this article.
The air attack on Afghanistan brought resentments among ordinary
Pakistanis across the country. Although the level of anger varies
from area to area. There is much militant mood developing in
NorthWest Frontier Province and Baluchistan, the two provinces
bordering Afghanistan. The general comments among the working
people was that now Talbaan will retaliate and that US has not
done good by this attack. Is this not terrorism Nazir Bhatti, a
motor mechanic told me this evening while commenting on the
present situation. If American die, it is very bad, if Afghanis
die, it is no problem for the rich countries Nazir said. So were
the comments of a hotel worker at Sahiwal, a district in central
Punjab, just after three hours of bombing. As we stopped at a tea
café in Sahiwal last night, a hotel worker told we that US have
attacked and that there will be a lot of bloodshed now.
The mood in Punjab cities is different than those in the villages.
In the villages, Osama Bin Laden is becoming like folk hero. He is
worshiped everywhere and has become the person to follow. How for
this mood is translated in
action is yet to be seen. But one aspect is very clear that US
have bought more hostility by these air attacks.
The military regime is becoming popular among the traders and rich
people. They see a lot of opportunities to make money in pursuing
this policy. As every day, one or the other minister or prime
minister is visiting Pakistan and
telling the military regime their intentions to generate the
economic activities. And that what brave stand the military has
taken by supporting the US and its allies in combating terrorism.
What a great hypocrisy by these gentlemen in gray suits who have
been lecturing the military regime of the great fruits of
democracy a non-nuclearisation of Pakistan.
After Blair, now Colin Powel is coming here to appreciate the
timely help given by Pakistan to the US and its allies. Only two
years before, the former US president Bill Clinton visited
Pakistan for four hours and he remained for
four days in India, a fact, and the military regime did not liked
very much. Such was the friendship of the Americans imperialism
just before the 11th September.
But for the ordinary Pakistanis, it is becoming increasingly
isolated. With the rising unemployment and price hike, the result
of following blindly on IMF and World Bank policies, the masses
pay the real price. With the ongoing
attacks on Afghanistan, these hate feeling against the military
regime and US imperialism will grow. The fact that General
Musharaf noticed and told the US today on 8th October, in a
televised speech that US military approach
should be short and sharp. But there is no short and sharp way of
dealing those who have been trained and equipped by the same army
who declares them as terrorist today.
The heroes of the past in the military dictionary have become
villains. The Jihad (holy war) becomes terrorism today for the
military regime. It was us, the Left forces of Pakistan, who do
not need to change their position about these religious fanatics
who were fanatics earlier and remain so today. US imperialism was
the enemy yesterday, so it remains today. But for the religious
fanatics, the US was a great source of help for their Jihad in the
eighties. Now is a great Satan on earth that must be destroyed at
all cost. In a debate on third party politics with Liaqat Baluch,
the second in command in the most powerful religious fanatic party
of Pakistan, before 11th September at Sustainable development
Planning Institute in Islamabad, m main arguments against the
religious parties politics were that they are always tide up with
the military regimes. They were used by every important juncture
of Pakistani politics by the successive military regimes, I told
the audience in his presence. Whenever military want of get rid of
a civil government, the religious parties are very much willing to
do the dirty job of creating law and order situation.
Liaqat Baluch became very angry when I said that in the eighties,
it was US dollars and not Jihad that was the guiding principals
for the fight against the Soviets. But unfortunately, including
Jamaat-I- Islami, most of the
religious parties who got all sort of help by the military has to
oppose openly their masters of the past. By doing so, they want to
echo the general feeling of the masses at present. Many a time in
history, monsters brought up for any
reason go against his masters voice.
Look at the example of Sint Bhinder Singh Wale, a monster brought
up by Indra Ghandi, the former Prime Minister of India. This was
to be used against the growing influence of Akali Dal, a Punjabi
political party of the rich. But
he broke his chains and led the powerful Khalistan movement in the
eighties in Indian Punjab. Indra Ghandi has to send forces to kill
him alongside with hundreds of his followers at Golden Temple in
Amretser. Indra Ghandi had to pay the price as two Sikh gunmen of
her killed her in revenge few years later.
After 11th September, whenever General Musharaf appeared on TV he
seems upset and agitated. He wants to say many things that he does
not say. He has to think what he says. His appearance at national
TV represents the factual
situation. He knows what can happen to him. He is playing with
fire. By siding the US imperialism, he has turned many of his
former friends as enemies. The US attack on 7th October also
brought the news of top ranking changed among the army generals.
Two of his close allies had to go prematurely and surprisingly,
apparently, a close friend of the religious fanatic forces has
been promoted as the Chairman joint chief of army Staff. The
changes in the army top ranks has all to do with the 11th
September incident contrary to the claims of General Musharaf
today while answering a question during his press conference.
General Musharaf may be receiving the Prime ministers and
ministers every day, an unprecedented situation for Pakistan, but
all this can not go very for to stabiles his regime. We do not
expect a dramatic economic help that could lay the basis for the
recovery of the ever-declining economy of Pakistan. On the
contrary there is a growing danger of development of reactionary
popular movement against his policies. A lot more blood can be
shed than expected by the military regime. Today Musharaf told an
other blatant lie that the Nation is with him. His meaning of
Nation can be the traders, exporters, feudal and capitalists who
smell US dollars from his policies but ordinary Pakistanis are
becoming more and more vocal against his policies. He may loose
his power earlier than many think about his future. It may be an
assassination attempt by a fanatic or change in leadership on any
grounds. He is not strong, as he appears to be. Although, he may
have bought some time for his power, but not the peace of mind.
Unfortunately, those who have been telling that US imperialism is
an enemy of the workers nationally and internationally are in a
very weak position. Their political terminology has been proven
correct with the passage of time but they do not have the power
and resources to tell on a mass level how correct they were in the
past. It is not the old faces of the Left that have surfaced in
the main political arena at present, it is the new and young
voices
around Labour Party Pakistan who are eager to build a peace
movement. This is to oppose all those who believe that they can
use the language of terror and suppression to make a point. A
peace demo is being organised by LPP on 15th
October in Lahore from Shimla Pehari to Charing Cross at 3pm.
Similar demos are being organised at Hyderabad, Karachi and
islambad during the month.
by Farooq Tariq
General
secretary
Labour Party Pakistan
www.labourpakistan.org
farooqtariq@hotmail.com
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