Extremism grew with decline of ‘Left’: Abid Minto
February 27, 2010
Islamabad
The vacuum created by decline of ‘Leftist’ movement following vigorous propaganda against the movement during last decade of 20th century benefited extremism, which led to further deterioration of conditions in the third world.
Eminent lawyer and long-time political campaigner Abid Hassan Minto of National Workers Party (Pakistan) expressed these views during a press conference at the National Press Club here on Friday.
“After 20 years of disintegration of Soviet Union, there are no more socialist movements, but the proliferation of nuclear weapons is still going on,” he added.
The press conference was held to announce the merger of People’s Rights Movement (PRM) into the newly formed National Workers Party following the initial merger of the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party and National Workers Party.
Minto announced that the National Workers Party would hold a national convention at the end of March. He urged all other ‘Left’ parties to consider becoming part of the new amalgamation.
“The ‘Left’ had historically played a critical role in the struggle for democracy and rights of workers in Pakistan, but since the early 1990s the ‘Left’ suffered a decline, which helped in the emergence of extremist groups,” he said.
He said that the extremist elements emerged during the regime of late Ziaul Haq and were used by establishment for its own purposes. “These extremist elements could only be curbed through equal distribution of resources among the people,” he said.
He said that feudal system was a major hurdle in the progress of Pakistan, as more than 60% of the population was directly involved with this system.
“How could women progress in this system where they are butchered in the name of ‘kar-o-kari’, ‘punchait’ and ‘jirga’ systems,” he said adding that empowerment of women through literacy and awareness can help end this system.
He further elaborated that most of the feudal lords were occupying seats in the National Assembly and Senate and only the representatives from ordinary class could end this unjust system. “The problems of an ordinary man could only be understood by an ordinary man and only the representation of ordinary class could ensure the solution of their problems,” he said. Minto said that the right wing does not have a meaningful answer to the devastation of capitalist imperialism and only ‘Left’ can represent the aspiration of 170 million people of Pakistan.
People’s Rights Movement representative Asha Amirali said that PRM is closely involved with major working class struggles and democratic political movements in the last eight years and during this period has developed a close working relationship with numerous other progressive political formations. She said that a consensus has developed amongst ‘Leftist’ groups to unite their forces at single platform to become an alternative to mainstream parties, which are representatives of the status quo.
Asha Amirali said that she expected that PRM’s merger with the National Workers Party would provide impetus to other ‘Left’ group and parties to also take a similar step.
On this occasion the National Workers Party demanded an immediate withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan and an end to imperialist intervention in Pakistan, a complete moratorium on debt owed to the international financial institutions, and end to the military operations in Balochistan and NWFP, and end to the victimisation of industrial workers in the power looms industry in Faisalabad and other urban centres of Punjab and implementation of the government’s promises to lift all restrictions on trade and student unions.
The vacuum created by decline of ‘Leftist’ movement following vigorous propaganda against the movement during last decade of 20th century benefited extremism, which led to further deterioration of conditions in the third world.
Eminent lawyer and long-time political campaigner Abid Hassan Minto of National Workers Party (Pakistan) expressed these views during a press conference at the National Press Club here on Friday.
“After 20 years of disintegration of Soviet Union, there are no more socialist movements, but the proliferation of nuclear weapons is still going on,” he added.
The press conference was held to announce the merger of People’s Rights Movement (PRM) into the newly formed National Workers Party following the initial merger of the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party and National Workers Party.
Minto announced that the National Workers Party would hold a national convention at the end of March. He urged all other ‘Left’ parties to consider becoming part of the new amalgamation.
“The ‘Left’ had historically played a critical role in the struggle for democracy and rights of workers in Pakistan, but since the early 1990s the ‘Left’ suffered a decline, which helped in the emergence of extremist groups,” he said.
He said that the extremist elements emerged during the regime of late Ziaul Haq and were used by establishment for its own purposes. “These extremist elements could only be curbed through equal distribution of resources among the people,” he said.
He said that feudal system was a major hurdle in the progress of Pakistan, as more than 60% of the population was directly involved with this system.
“How could women progress in this system where they are butchered in the name of ‘kar-o-kari’, ‘punchait’ and ‘jirga’ systems,” he said adding that empowerment of women through literacy and awareness can help end this system.
He further elaborated that most of the feudal lords were occupying seats in the National Assembly and Senate and only the representatives from ordinary class could end this unjust system. “The problems of an ordinary man could only be understood by an ordinary man and only the representation of ordinary class could ensure the solution of their problems,” he said. Minto said that the right wing does not have a meaningful answer to the devastation of capitalist imperialism and only ‘Left’ can represent the aspiration of 170 million people of Pakistan.
People’s Rights Movement representative Asha Amirali said that PRM is closely involved with major working class struggles and democratic political movements in the last eight years and during this period has developed a close working relationship with numerous other progressive political formations. She said that a consensus has developed amongst ‘Leftist’ groups to unite their forces at single platform to become an alternative to mainstream parties, which are representatives of the status quo.
Asha Amirali said that she expected that PRM’s merger with the National Workers Party would provide impetus to other ‘Left’ group and parties to also take a similar step.
On this occasion the National Workers Party demanded an immediate withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan and an end to imperialist intervention in Pakistan, a complete moratorium on debt owed to the international financial institutions, and end to the military operations in Balochistan and NWFP, and end to the victimisation of industrial workers in the power looms industry in Faisalabad and other urban centres of Punjab and implementation of the government’s promises to lift all restrictions on trade and student unions.
