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Labour Party Pakistan starts Inkaar Tehreek (No Movement)

People of Lahore not to pay the new bus fares

Despite heavy raining, LPP activists gathered in front of a private bus stand at Railway Station Lahore area to protest the recent raise in Lahore bus fares. They appealed to the people of Lahore not to pay the revised bus fares. They demanded an immediate withdrawal of the increased oil prices. Many travelers joined the very live demonstration and agreed with the demand.... more

 

 

Labour Relief Campaign

 

The first month of Labour Relief Campaign Pakistan

The Labour Relief Camp first camp was organized in Lahore on 1st August 2010 at Regal Chouck Lahore. Earlier on 25th July 2010, we decided to launch a Baluchistan appeal. 

 

It stated, “Torrential rains have unleashed flash floods in different parts of Baluchistan over the few days. Water levies broke leaving the people exposed to flood water. At least three villages in district Sibi have been destroyed. Houses, live-stock such as cattle’s and goats, household goods, clothes, shoes and other items have been destroyed. Residents of villages are currently without drinkable water, food, shelter and in need of clothes. In particular, the situation is dire for children and women and they are in desperate need of food and clothing. Disease is spreading fast in the areas affected due to lack of drinkable water. In particular, flu, fever, diarrhea, cholera have been noted and are spreading. The government’s response has made matters worse. They failed to act immediately, leaving tens of thousands of people unaided. They came after twenty four hours to the make-shift camps with paltry amount of food bags to distribute. The gap between the food being distributed and the large number of people desperate to eat led to fighting breaking out making matters even worse for these desperate people. Rubina Baluch, Women Secretary LPP Baluchistan, who is a resident of one of the affected villages said, ‘there is absolutely nothing left here – food, water, and clothing – and we are in desperate need of these’. At least, 10, 000 people are said to be in suffering in these grave conditions”.

Perhaps this was the first appeal by any political group in Pakistan to ask people to help the victims of torrential rains in Baluchistan.  

 

After an informal consultation with several social and political groups in Lahore, we decided to set up the first camp. Already a group of 42 activists including 35 women belonging to Labour Education Foundation were trapped in Kalam, Swat valley. The flood in river Swat had flooded away all the bridges and the road links were delinked from the rest of the country. They were eventually evacuated by a military helicopter after 8 days of ordeal.  

The camp in Lahore was supported by many activists and on the first day, we collected nearly 18,000 Rupees within two hours. Next day, it went up to nearly 50,000.  

 

A LRC committee was reestablished with 8 members from eight different organizations. They included, Cindy Kariaper, Pakistan ForPalestine, Farooq Tariq Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee, Qalandar Memon Labour Party Pakistan, Bushra Khaliq Women Workers Help Line, Khalid Malik Labour Education Foundation, Ammar Jan Progressive Youth Front, Khaliq Shah CADTM Pakistan and NiazKhan National Trade Union Federation. The committee decided to meet at least twice in a week to discuss all aspect of the campaign.  

 

The LRC committee agreed to campaign on two fronts, collecting funds for the immediate relief and to change the priorities of the national budget demanding a total no to repayment of foreign debts and reduce the military budget, no cuts in development budget and no new taxes, no new loan, but grants and aid.   

 

On 7th August, we issued a new appeal and here is a part that we wrote,  

Please donate to Labour Relief Campaign to help people of Pakistan is facing worst ever floods of its history. Torrential rains have unleashed flash floods in different parts of the country since last three weeks. Water levies broke leaving the people exposed to flood water. More than 12 million people have suffered due to these floods. More than 650,000 houses have collapsed, mainly in villages. Thousands of acres of crops have been destroyed due to flood water. Houses, live-stock such as cattle’s and goats, household goods, clothes, shoes and other items have been destroyed. Residents of villages are currently without drinkable water, food, shelter and in need of clothes”. 

Five days later, the situation has even more worsened and it was estimated that over 20 million people are affected by the flood by then, 

 

We wrote on 12 August,  

The flood is still on dangerous levels in several parts of Pakistan. The numbers of people affected by the flood have crossed 20 million. More torrential rains are forecast by the weather department. This is been considered one of the most devastating flood in world history. The UN has once again appealed for donations for Pakistan. But there has been a very slow response internationally to help Pakistan in this period of great devastation. After destroying most of Khaiber Pukhtoonkhawa and Southern Punjab, the water has now washed down the Indus River Valley, causing a deluge in Sindh. The water has been powered by unusually fierce monsoon rains that began in country’s northern areas some three weeks ago. Roads, bridges and other infrastructure have given way, overwhelming the government's ability to cope. At this point an estimated 1,600 have been killed with another 5 million left homeless”. 

Camps were set up in different parts of Pakistan including Rawalpindi, Mardan, Hyderabad, Moro, Karachi, Sanghar, Layya andSibbi.  

 

We send the appeal to all our international friends and by then, the world was awakening to the most catastrophic incident of Pakistan history.  

 

In one month, we have raised the following 

Lahore                              Rs. 654587  (cash) 

Lahore                              Rs. 45000   (goods) 

Rawalpindi                          Rs.   5000   (cash) 

Hyderabad                          Rs. 184100  (cash) 

Hyderabad                          Rs. 299550    Goods and medicine 

Moro                                  Rs. 766,190 (cash)

Karachi                               Rs. 450,000 (cash) 

Karachi                               Rs. 250,000 (goods) 

Mardan                               Rs. 70,000   (cash)

Sibbi                                  did not have information 

Sanghar                              no information yet 

Layya                                 no information yet 

International appeal                      Rs. 371784 

 

Confirmed commitments and information received   

SAP Netherlands                  Euro 5000 (Rs. 550,000) 

Olof Palme International Center   SEK 50,000 (Rs. 589,500) 

Cultural Life Buoy campaign     NOK 10,000   (Rs. 138,000) 

Yasmeen USA                       US$ 2000 (Rs.172,000) 

Pakistanies in Denmark            US $ 1000 (Rs. 85000) 

 

A total in cash raised from Pakistan:  Rs.  2,129,877

International                                  Rs.     371,784 

Commitments                                  Rs.   1,534,500 

Goods:                                           Rs.  594550 

Total cash, goods and commitments on 3 September 2010, 4,630,711 (US$ 54478) 

Apart from the relief campaign, we have also launched a political campaign for non payment of foreign debts of Pakistan. We held our first press conference in first week of August in Lahore and we said, "Pakistan must refuse to pay the foreign debts and divert the amount into the relief and rehabilitation of the flood affectees. It is high time to change the priorities of the national budget and all those suggestions to cut the development budget and spend on flood affectees be stopped. There is an easy way out. Stop paying the debts owed to International Finance Institutions. donor countries and clubs.  

The press conference was the first voice in Pakistan on the issue. we contacted like minded groups and parties to raise the issue and the idea was well received. Social and political groups in Islamabad met and decided to take on the issue. In Lahore, on 29th August, LRC organized a multi party conference to oppose the debt retirement and 28 political parties, trade unions and social movements agreed to participate in this campaign. on second September several hundreds marched to Islamabad to demand non payment of foreign debts. One of the largest private television channel Dunia took up the issue on a prime time talk show, "Dunia Mery Aaghey" and invited one of the organizer of the demonstration to put up the case. There is now a beginning of the awakening of some main stream political parties to take up the isse.  

Three more rallies will be organized to press for this demand. One such rally will be held in Lahore on 19th September from GPO Chouck to Punjab Assembly demanding an end of payments of debts while people are in danger of dying in the aftermath of the flood.  In this campaign, we have got the material support of OXFAM. 

Where the money spent? 

We  had decided to spend the amount on flood victims on selected areas where we have local teams to deal the question of distribution in more organsied manner and also to the most needy ones. The initial three areas selected were Union Council Tully in Sibbi district of Baluchistan, Pir Sabaq union council of district Noshehra of Khaber Pukhtoonkhawa and Southern part of Punjab. We held in food items, kitchen items and construction material in two areas, while we were unable to do anything in Saraiki area. Lately, LRC has send amount to Hyderabad jamshoro, Moro and Thatha area of Sindh through Sindh Labour Relief Committee. The local teams in Baluchistan reported wide spread disruption in food item distribution and they had to take special measures to avoid that. they issue tokens of particular food basket after conducting surveys of three villages and then asked them to collect food from a special place designated for collection the food items. Same process was carried out in Pir Sabaq area where distribution of food items and construction material was done with a very disciplined manner. The main reason of smooth distribution was our local committees which included political and trade unions activists.  

In Hyderabad jamshoro, we set up medical camps and distributed medicines through our doctors association. Here in Hyderabad, we were jointly working with Communist Party Pakistan, Aadersh, A Sindhi literary magazine. In Moro, our local relief committee was formed in association with local traders and trade unions. There were the most successful in collecting amount and good from an area which was itself effected. Through joint effort, they have won the sympathies of many in the city and are the main distribution group of the area. Several other organizations have contacted and asked help in distribution to the flood affectees of Moro and Dadu district.  In Karachi, SRLC set up four camps and sent four trucks of good to Moro and at present busy in Thatha district to help the flood victims who are sleeping on roads and schools.  

The International Response to LRC appeal 

This was to give you some idea of our activity during the first month of our relief work. Most of the amount collected in Pakistan are from ordinary people. They have donated us generously. BY setting up camps and distributing aid to flood victims in some selected areas, we have tried to counter the influence of the right wing forces particularly the religious fundamentalists groups. Several hundreds activists of LRC are busy in collecting funds locally and we are also encouraged by different responses from abroad. Political groups associated with Fourth International in several countries particularly in Netherlands and England have send us amount already, while several individual and Left groups efforts in US have brought some cash to the relief. From Sweden, we have already received information of 50,000 Swedish SKR and in Norway, an initiative by actor Toni Usman for a theater show on 19 September has already won support of Norway artist association with leading actors of Norway taking part voluntarily to help the campaign. In Australia, Socialist Alliance is helping to collect funds and APHEDA, the official Australian trade unions international assistance is collecting funds for LRC.  

We had the great arrival of South Asians at Lahore relief camp to collect funds from Pakistanis. Social and peace activists from India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka came to Lahore and brought some amount from their own countries and contributed to LRC funds. They have brought with this a consciousness of South Asian solidarity in real terms. 

We appeal to all our international friends to continue collecting funds for our future planned  aid and political activities. Apart from the campaign on debts, we have decided to organize peasant rallies in Sindh and Punjab to demand land rights and end of feudalism.

LABOUR RELIEF CAMPAIGN’S ACTIVITIES IN UNION COUNCIL PIR SABAQ

SITUATION OF UNION COUNCIL PIR SABAQ AFTER THE DEVESTATING FLOODS: by Farooq Ahmed(31\08\10)

Union Council Pir Sabaq falls under district Nowshehra. Pir Sabaq in on one side of River Kabul and Nowshehra is on the other. Population of both areas can easily be seen from the river, but as there is no bridge to connect both areas the total distance to be covered from Nowshehra to reach Pir Sabaq is about 22 km via an unmetalled bumpy so called ‘road’. This is why the teams are finding it difficult to access the area of Pir Sabaq for relief activities. It was once an area where happy labors and workers were dwelling. Now it give a picture of the ruins of Mohenjo-Daro, with smell everywhere and the mud built houses turned into rubble.

Up till now not even a single government official has bothered to pay a visit to this area. The provincial government is blaming the federal government and federal government is blaming the provincial. Various donor organizations are working in the area but no team from government has been seen there until now nor there any of their relief camps.

Labor Relief Campaign (LRC) has up till now distributed food and other items worth 305000. In which around 70000 was raised at provincial level and about 235000 was sent from Lahore. LRC has hired a godown for this purpose where they store the items and it also helps in making the process of distribution of items more efficient. A list has been prepared of the affectees and they have been issued a token. They can show their token at the godown and receive their items. Special care has been taken in registering the victims so that no victim is registered twice and the items reach the deserving people. Victims have appreciated the method use by LRC.

LRC and Swiss Labor Assistance, which is an organization based in Switzerland, have together completed a survey of Pir Sabaq. A survey of 470 houses has been completed. Out of 470 around 235 are completely destroyed and the rest have partial damages. 470 houses will receive a tool kit which contains hand barrow, hammers, nails, pick axe, shovel and ‘Gantary’ They will use this kit to remove the rubble of their houses. After this they will be provided with shelter. For this work Swiss Labor Assistance has hired two local people.

250,000 Displace,70% Are Women & Children, worst Human Crisis in Thatta District.                                   By Nasir Mansoor (31\08\10)

On Saturday I was here in Makli city (one of the oldest necropolises of world) 6 Km from Thatta city, extreme south of the country near Arabian Sea, nearly 250,000 have been poured in and around Makli city(its own population is 20,000) for last five days from all areas of the Thatta district,90 km from Karachi. Almost 50% of the 1.6 million population of the district has been displaced at the moment. The district is mostly coastal area where Indus river fall into Arabian Sea. There all 9 sub divisions of the district is inundated by the flood. I was accompanied with Comrade Sherbaz of Progressive youth Front, Jabbar Khaskhaili(Labour Party Pakistan), Naseem Haider(Pakistan Steel Democratic Workers Union) and Comrade Ali Ahmed (LPP,Thatta) 

Majority of displaced are without shelter ,food, water and medicine. Situation is very worst and depressing, government and other relief bodies are nowhere, hundreds of thousand women and children have been crying for immediate help. They are in open space everywhere in scorching heat, thousands have taken refuge in historic grave yard of Makli including in tombs of nobles . 

Sindh Labour Relief Committee(SLRC) have started some immediate relief to the needy but challenge is larger than our capacity, human catastrophe is looming large and every passing hour has been making life unbearable for the displaced hundreds of thousands especially for women and children.

SLRC are going to establish relief camp in Makli for 30 families from this week. 

The situation is very volatile, thousands have protested against army and administration on main road on Friday and bitterness has been growing day by day. 
SLCR have send three consignment of food, clothes and medicine to Moro in last week period, five comrades Zehra Akber (Home Based Women Workers Federation), Shehla Rizwan(Labour Party Pakistan , Irfana Jabbar(Home Based Women Bangle Workers Union), Munawer and Mukhtiar Raho (LPP) have been in Moro for three days in Moro for relief work. 

SLRC have given shelter to 120 families from Jaffarabad in Hub Balochistan through National Trade Union Federation(NTUF) in seven quarters of Workers Welfare Board and committed to supply food and medicine to flood victims. 

Some amount is in our hand for food purchase for Moro camps which we have already pledged so in this situation we immediately require your intervention to cope the situation in Thatta district, please act now. 

Labour Relief Campaign update:

Farooq Tariq (19\08\10) Several camps have been set up in different parts of Pakistan by member organizations of Labour Relief Campaign.  They are now collecting funds in Karachi, Moro, Layya, Rawalpindi, Sibbi, Lahore, Murdan and Hyderabad. From Lahore, the LRC has sent Rupees 220,000 to Sibbi in Baluchsitan and 110,000 to Pir Sabaq in Noshera. Here, committees of local affectees and members of LRC are organizing the relief efforts. 

We have collected in Lahore and through donations directly to the bank account, an amount of 433,000 and we are busy in sending the rest to the areas mentioned above. 8 members committee meeting of LRC decided to stick to few areas where we have local people to help in relief goods distribution. The LRC will concentrate on Layya, Rajan Pur, Sibbi and Noshehra and Charsada. While, the Sindh Labour Relief Committee will help in different parts of Sindh. 

The LRC committee decided to hold an all parties conference to discuss the negligence of the government in providing timely warnings and support to the flood affected areas. It also decided to speed up the campaign for the cancelation of Pakistan debt.

The LRC paid special thanks to 10 Indian social activists who brought 25400 Indian Rupees donation and helped to raise funds in Regal Chouck Lahore. 

The LRC comprised of 8 organization including Women Workers Help Line, Labour Education Foundation, Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee, CATDM Pakistan, Progressive Youth Front, Labour Party Pakistan, National Trade Union Federation  and Pakistan For Palestine.

 

Appeal issued on August 12, 2020

It is over 20 million people affected by the flood now

The flood is still on dangerous levels in several parts of Pakistan. The numbers of people effected by the flood have crossed 20 million. More torrential rains are forecast by the weather department. This is been considered one of the most devastating flood in world history. The UN has once again appealed for donations for Pakistan. But there has been a very slow response internationally to help Pakistan in this period of great devastation.

After destroying most of Khaiber Pukhtoonkhawa and Southern Punjab, the water has now washed down the Indus River Valley, causing a deluge in Sindh. The water has been powered by unusually fierce monsoon rains that began in country’s northern areas some three weeks ago.

Roads, bridges and other infrastructure have given way, overwhelming the government's ability to cope. At this point an estimated 1,600 have been killed with another 5 million left homeless.

The Labour Relief Campaign (LRC), launched in October 2005 after an earthquake killed nearly 100,000, has put up relief camps in several parts of Pakistan. The LRC springs into action whenever there is an emergency situation. Member organizations include Progressive Youth Front, Women Workers Help Line, Labour Education Foundation, National Trade Union Federation, CADTM Pakistan, Labour Party Pakistan, Pakistan For Palestine and Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee. Currently the Lahore camp at Regal Chouck is raising thousands of rupees every day in aid.

Here is report of a union council in Khaiber Pukhtoon Khawa province by a team of four LRC members led by Farooq Ahmad, member of the federal executive committee, Labour Party Pakistan:

On 29 July Pir Sabaq, a Union Council of Nowshehra district, with a population of more than 34,000, is completely destroyed by the recent flood waters. A tent city of more than 1,000 tents has been established but most of the people are still forced to live in homes partially destroyed by the flood. This can lead to a major building collapsing any time, resulting in the further loss of lives.

In addition to losing their homes most people found their household items have been swept away. They have lost their cattle and goats as well. People without anything to eat, drink or wear.

Pir Sabaq is mainly a town of working-class people who work in marble or stone-crushing factories, or in the construction sector or agriculture sectors. When a LRC team visited yesterday, local people told about how water more than 14 feet high reached the town’s roof tops. Since the flood came around 4 a.m., while people were sleeping in the comfort of their homes, there was no chance to save anything but their lives.

The owners of small tourist boats did their best to help save lives of common people. By contrast, when army helicopters arrived at the scene, they began evacuating the families of military men and residents of the big houses. People immediately saw the way the army discriminated about who they aided. People told the LRC team that many stranded on the roof tops of their houses waved their hands in the air when they saw the army helicopters coming, but it was of no use.

People have also blamed the government for failing to inform them on time about the danger of the flood. Some also charged that water was allowed to flow from the Warsik dam in order to save the nearby military camps.

The LRC team saw the house of Pervaiz Lala, general secretary of LPP in Pir Sabaq. It, like the majority, was completely destroyed; he and his family is now homeless. He told them the people did not eat for almost three days after the flood. Not a single governmental official has visited the area so far. The information minister of KP province, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, stated in clear terms that the provincial government cannot do anything to help people in this disaster. however two days before an NGO started providing some food.

There is still water all over Pir Sabaq. A bad smell is everywhere and no clean drinking water is available. The children are suffering from diarrhea and skin rashes. The local government dispensary, the only medical facility for the townspeople, has been totally destroyed. In this environment people are haunted by the possibility of diseases being spread.

People now are in need of: food items like cooking oil, wheat flour, milk, sugar, clean drinking water, vegetables, clothes, tents, cooking utensils and medicine.

Here is an appeal we launched on 7th August that gives you some more information and the ways to help the campaign.

Appeal issued on August 7, 2020  
More than 12 million people suffering from floods in Pakistan

 

Please donate to Labour Relief Campaign to help people of Pakistan is facing worst ever floods of its history. Torrential rains have unleashed flash floods in different parts of the country since last three weeks. Water levies broke leaving the people exposed to flood water.

More than 12 million people have suffered due to these floods. More than 650,000 houses have collapsed, mainly in villages.

Thousands of acres of crops have been destroyed due to flood water. Houses, live-stock such as cattle’s and goats, household goods, clothes, shoes and other items have been destroyed.  Residents of villages are currently without drinkable water, food, shelter and in need of clothes. 

In particular, the situation is dire for children and women and they are in desperate need of food and clothing. Disease is spreading fast in the areas affected due to lack of drinkable water. In particular, flu, fever, diarrhea, cholera have been noted and are spreading.  

The government’s response has made matters worse. They failed to act immediately, leaving tens of thousands of people unaided.  They came after twenty four hours to the make-shift camps with paltry amount of food bags to distribute. The gap between the food being distributed and the large number of people desperate to eat led to fighting breaking out making matters even worse for these desperate people.

Despite the fact that there is very little coverage in the media, the fact remains that the situation in Baluchistan is just as bad as in Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa and western and southern Punjab. As usual, also, they are not at the top of the government's priority list.

Situation is turning out to be worse with heavy rains started since last night in Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa province.  

The Labour Education Foundation, Labour Party of Pakistan, National Trade Union Federation, Women Workers Help Line and Progressive Youth Front have set up Labour Flood Relief Camps in Lahore and so far have collected more than 300,000 rupees. Rs. 110,000 have already been sent to Baluchistan and more than 200,000 are on way to Southern Punjab to help flood victims.  

We appeal our friends and organizations in Pakistan and abroad for donations of a monetary kind or in the form of drinking water, clothes (new), shoes, medicine.    
 
For further information please contact: 

Khalid Mahmood
Director
Labour Education Foundation
Ground Floor, 25-A Davis Road,
Lahore, Pakistan.
Email:
khalid@lef.org.pk mailto: khalid@lef.org.pk
Tel: 0092 42 6303808, 0092 42 6315162, Fax: 0092 42 6271149
Mobile: 0092 321 9402322

If you wish to transfer funds, below are details of the account for sending money to the LRC.
A/C Title: Labour Education Foundation
A/C Number: 01801876
Route:
Please advise and pay to Citi Bank, New York, USA Swift CITI US 33 for onward transfer to BANK ALFALAH LTD., KARACHI, PAKISTAN A/C No. 36087144 and for final transfer to BANK ALFALAH LTD., LDA PLAZA, KASHMIR ROAD, LAHORE, PAKISTAN Swift: ALFHPKKALDA for A/C No. 01801876 OF LABOUR EDUCATION FOUNDATION.

 

 

 

  

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