A press statement of Labour Party Pakistan on Lal Masjid military operation for immediate use

Labour Party Pakistan has strongly condemned the military action against the defying religious forces in Islamabad . In a joint statement by Nisar Shah chairperson and Farooq Tariq general secretary Labour Party Pakistan. They said that the use of arms will never solve anything. The sheer timing of the operation also raises serious doubts about the motives of the military government of Pakistan . Over 15 has been killed in this military action.

“at the time when all the forces should have been used to save the lives of over 2.5 million Pakistanis who are effected by terrains rains, the military government of General Musharaf opted to use force against a tiny religious fundamentalist groups. Over 400 have so far died during the last 10 days of early moon soon raining in different parts of the country. Over 1.5 million have been forced in internal migration during this period many with any help from the government” the LPP leaders said.

Citing another example, they said that on 2nd July, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has issued a very powerful observation against the excessive use of the intelligence agencies against the judges of the higher courts in Pakistan .

“It is conscious effort by the military regime to divert the attention of the people away from the disastrous role played by the regime during the heavy rains resulting more deaths and suffering of the people. It is to divert the attention of the masses away from the growing movement of the advocates, the LPP leaders said in the statement.

“The religious fundamentalist forces in Pakistan are the brain child of the military intelligences and American imperialism. Both have armed them heavily during the Afghan war during the eighties. They were given all sort of economic aid to develop the religious institutions and madrassas. The Lal Masjid administration in Islamabad were helped and developed in the past by those in power today. They were given a free hand to recruit “the would be” suicidal bombers. All eyes were closed when they occupied the library of the children and encroached the land owned by the Islamabad local government administration” . The Labour Party leaders said in the statement.

“Now the ghost has come out of the bottle” the LPP leaders said. “They have gone out of the control of their masters. They have made the students believe that anybody killed by the government will go directly to the heaven. Many students are waiting for the keys of the heaven by laying their lives on the misnamed Jihad. The religious fundamentalist have kidnapped women who were not acting according to the Islamic way of life. They had attacked the shops of the videos and cds. At the time, government just stood by and did nothing to stop such heinous crimes by the religious fundamentalist forces. The government wanted a time that suits them politically to counter the growing movement of the advocates to overthrow the military government. It is dirty game by the military government. It is not to stop the growing influence of the religious fundamentalist but to make the American imperialism happy that General Musharaf is taking steps to counter the religious fundamentalists.

“Stop all state subsidies to the Madrrasas, stop all internal contacts with the Jihadi groups, and abolish all discriminatory laws, if you have to counter the religious fundamentalist forces” the LPP leaders maintained. They said that to counter the religious fundamentalist forces, there has to be a political fight of ideas. The religious forces have nothing to offer to stop the growing poverty. They want capitalism by another name.

The government should have taken action against the Lal masjid according to the constitution. By killing them, the military government is in fact helping the religious forces who will be seen as those oppressed by General Musharaf only to please the Americans. They will be seen unfortunately as anti imperialist ant anti militarist. They are neither anti militarist nor anti imperialist. They are a new face of fascist forces. They are the new kind of fascists. They are made martyrs by the military actions.

LPP leaders condemned the religious fanatic forces to use arms which resulted in killing innocent people as well. The religious fanatics must immediate leave the occupation of the children library, they must stop kidnapping women and children, they must abandon the encroachment of Islamabad local administration land.

LPP would not side with either fanatic group. It will oppose the both groups engaged in fighting. “No support to military action and no support to the religious fanatics, they both are different sides of the same coin” LPP leaders said.

Till 11pm on 3rd July 2007, at least 15 have been killed during the operation. Among them, is a photographer of a private tv channel, a local trader, a ranger personnel and a laborer. The Lal Masjid administration claim that at least 12 dead bodies are in the building.

During the operation carried out by rangers, army and other forces, tear gas and direct firing was targeting the students of this fanatic Madrassa. The students also replied back by firing at the military forces.