Urgent solidarity action is required for Pakistan Marxists in Malakand. Early this morning at 5.45am, comrade Ghufran Ahad’s home in the village of Allahdand in the district of Malakand, was attacked by a hand grenade. Fortunately no one was injured but the windows and other parts of the home were severely damaged.
Comrade Ghufran, who used to be the Mayor of the district, is today the president of the local Bar (Lawyer) Association and a leader of the local PPP. He is also a national leader of the Pakistan Trade Unions Defence Campaign (PTUDC).
This attack is in continuity with the recent events happening in Malakand in which Islamic reactionaries have carried out an intense propaganda against comrades as Infidels because of their struggle for the oppressed toilers and youth standing for Scientific Socialism.
Comrades have registered a report (F.I.R.) with the local police and have increased their security manifold. For security we are not relying on any State departments but on our own comrades and friends.
A week ago the Islamic fundamentalists threatened attacks and pogroms against comrade Ghufran and his comrades. A campaign against this threat was launched, preparations for the defence of the comrades were made and comrade Ghufran gave a press conference against the attacks and explaining the political position of the comrades. In the press conference comrade Ghufran had said:
“Our struggle is against imperialist aggression and fundamentalist terror in this region and elsewhere. We consider both menaces as two sides of the same coin. The brutalities of US and other imperialist aggressors are as vicious and brutal as those of the Islamic and other religious fundamentalists. What we are striving for is to organise the workers, peasants and the youth to fight for the overthrow of this rotten capitalism whom the imperialists and the fundamentalists both subscribe to. Hence, we are the targets of the forces of terror at the behest of the landlords, capitalists and Mafiosi in the guise of religious fundamentalism and sections of the state sponsored by the imperialist bosses and barons of black money.”
The fundamentalists then backed down but now this attack has taken place.
Comrade Ghufran speaking at the commemoration meeting for the late comrade Sajjad AlamThe PTUDC is launching a nationwide campaign in solidarity with the comrades of Malakand. In our campaign we are not entering into any debate on religion but on political questions and our positions on these. Even in this tense situation comrades have vowed again and again that they will stand for Socialism and will not bend their positions in front of these reactionaries.
We appeal to Trade Union and youth organizations and Federations in the whole country and internationally to support this campaign of the PTUDC and send urgent protest messages and letters to the following: Federal Minister For the Interior of Pakistan, Imran Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek Insaf party, that is in power in the Pushtoonkhawa province in coalition with the Islamicist Jamaat a Islami,
with copies to Chief Minister and Home Minister of Khyber Pushtoonkhawa, to speed up the inquiry into this incident, ensure the safety of the comrades and punish the people responsible for this attack.
Send letters of protest to the following adresses:
1. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan,
Federal Minister For the Interior,
R Block, Pak Secretariat ,
Islamabad (Pakistan)
Email Address: interior.complaintcell@gmail.com
2. Pervez Khattak,
Chief Minister of Khyber Pushtoonkhawa,
Address: Chief Minister Secretariat,
Shahibzada Abdul Qayum Road,
Peshawar,
Pakistan
Phone: 0092 91 9222460 464
Fax: 0092 91 9212237
e-mail:complaints@crckp.gov.pk
Complaints can also be registered online at
3. Interior Minister of Khyber Pushtoonkhawa,
Home & T.As Department
Civil Secretariat,
Peshawar,
Pakistan
Phone:009291-9210032
Fax:009291-9210201,
Email: hdcomplaints@gmail.com
4) For a list of Pakistan embassies and consulates see:
http://embassy.goabroad.com/embassies-of/pakistan
5) For emails and offices of the Pakistan Tehreek Insaf party in Pakistan and abroad you can go to their website at: http://www.insaf.pk/about-us/contact-us/leadership