By Farooq Tariq

Labour Party Pakistan joined the All Parties Democratic Movement on the day when right wing Muslim League Nawaz left the Alliance on 10th December. Three religious parties including Jamiat Ulamai Islam JUI of Fazaul Rehman had already left the APDM to contest the "general elections".

The APDM had decided to boycot the elections under PCO of General Musharad, the only alliance to do so. This was the demand of the fighting organisations of the advocates, teachers, students and also of Awami Jamhuri Tehreek, the Left alliance and generally of civil society as a whole.

Contesting these elections was to legitimise the Musharaf dictatorship and its all repressive measures. The only way to get rid of dicatorship was to launch a mass movement alongside with the present struggle of the militant lawyers community.

The APDM had announced to boycot and a mass movement against the dictatorship.

This alliance is not any more a right wing alliance dominated by the religiousy fundamentalists. It was when formed in July 2007 when all MMA religious parties were part of it and PMNL was the main leadership.

The time is running fast so is the political developments here in Pakistan. The main leadership in APDM has gone over to nationalists. These are not right wing nationalists but those fighting the national exploitations in Baluchistan, Sind and Saraiki areas particularly.

They have successfully fought against the builiding the controversial Kalabagh Dam during the lest few years of Musharaf dictatorship.

Most of the missing persons in Pakistan are not the religious fundamentalists but are from nationalists parties or from Baluchistan.

Majority of the nationalist parties have been in the forefront of democratic struggle since Musharaf had takjen over in 1999. They have not made any unholy alliances during the years and had been opposed to religious fundamentalists.

The APDM on 10th December is not at all the same as of July. The balance of power is fundamentally changed in favour of radical parties. There is no other alterntive political broad base plateform opposition to the regime.

There is only one major religious party in the alliance. That is Jamaat Islami. It is quite organised and have a large infratucture. But the JI has no dominated position and neither they have tried to bring the Islamic agenda on APDM plateform.

The issue of boycot or no boycot has resulted an ever increasing split among the religious fundmentalist parties. That is a good news. The MMA is split in practice. We must expose these forces in pratice. The movement against military regime is something that will even further split among these forces.

The main parties of the AJT are now also part of APDM. But we are working to strengthen the Left alliance and not abondoning it. The joining of APDM has given a chance to reach those layers more closely who are in forefront in the fight against the military regime.