Stop Drone Attacks, Stop Religious Fundamentalism

Labour Education Foundation (LEF) and South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE) are jointly organizing a peace rally “Labour for Peace” at

Shimla Pehari ground Lahore  

Thursday, 21^st October, 2010 

3:00 pm

Main theme of the rally is

“Stop Drone Attacks, Stop Religious Fundamentalism”.

Hundreds of trade unions and social and political activists will take part in this rally. They will come from different industrial zones of Lahore, Sheikhupura and industrial suburbs of these two districts.

South  Asia not only a home to the largest number of world’s poor but also a region where minimal efforts are made to promote justice and peace. Different types of internal conflicts are prevalent in almost all countries. At the same time occupation of Afghanistan and presence of imperialist forces in the region is generating different kind of threats to peace and justice. Human rights of different communities and people are violated in various pretexts.

The consequence of conflicts, violence and war causes unbelievable suffering particularly for women and children. Communities have been reduced to terror, suspicion and insecurity. The livelihood of millions of people has been severely affected and the fabric of social relationship between people and communities torn apart.

In last few years, Pakistan has faced terror of religious extremism and attacks by the US forces in form of drone attacks and direct military operations. Thousands of people have been killed by Taliban in Kyber Pakhtunkhwa province and Tribal areas of the countries and in other provinces by suicide attacks and targeted killings. Since January this year more than 700 people are killed in drone attacks in Northwest of Pakistan by US forces.

The strategy of the American imperialism to curb the growing influence of religious fundamentalism by drone attacks mounts a direct attack on Pakistan sovereignty. The military solution of religious fundamentalism is counterproductive and helping the fanatics to grow more. We can not support one monster against the other. We have to oppose the both and create an alternative social voice. This peace rally is a effort in that direction.

Even though some national and bilateral peace initiatives at the level of civil society are taking place, there is need of a vibrant civil society initiative to take this issue at the regional platform. So under South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE) a comprehensive peace initiative has been taken. It is being further strengthened and expanded by organizing different peace initiative at the country level.

You all are cordially invited to attend the rally.

Fraternally,

Khalid Mahmood

Director
Labour Education Foundation
Ground Floor, 25-A Davis Road,
Lahore, Pakistan.
Tel: 0092 42 6303808, 0092 42 6315162
Fax: 0092 42 6271149
Mobile: 0092 321 9402322
.
.

Remembering Hiroshima

The Institute for Peace and Secular Studies is organizing a candle light vigil in commemoration of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

August 6 marks the 65th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, followed by the bombing of Nagasaki three days later. The 200,000-plus deaths from those attacks, and the perceived need to reduce the number of such weapons, is the focus of an alliance of groups.

Time: 6.30 p.m
Date: August 6th 2010
Location: Chairing Cross, Mall Road, Lahore
Event: Candle Light Vigil.
Please feel free to bring your own candles!

A Nuclear free South Asia Initiative by I.P.S.S

For more information, contact Diep at

Institute for peace and Secular studies

91-G johar Town Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Ph 042-5219862/ 042-5219863

 mobile 0321-844-5072,0300-844-5072

www.peaceandsecularstudies.org

"you must be the change you want to see in the world" Gandhi

.

.

Emergency Protest Demonstrations against Baloch leaders' murders in Pakistan

Karachi
Participate in a joint demo to condemn the killings of Balochistan politicians Shaheed Maula Bakhsh and Habib Jalib Baluch carried out by Pakistani state's secrete agencies.
Thursday, July 15/2010
4pm
Karachi Press Club
Organized by:
Worker Party Pakistan (WPP), Labour Party Pakistan (LPP), Awamni Party Pakistan (APP), Jeay Sindh Mahaz (JSM)
Contact:
Nasir Mansoor, Labour Secretary, LPP
0300 3587211

Baluchistan

Baluchistan's LPP has announced a three days mourning of Habib Jalib Baluch, the late General Secretary of Baluchistan National Party who was killed this morning outside his home. He was a former Senator and was one of the most respected leaders of Baluchistan. 

Contact 

Aziz Baluch, General Secretary, LPP Baluchistan  

03337042716

Lahore

Emergency Protest Demonstration

Thursday, July 15/2010

3pm 

Lahore Press Club

Organized by the LPP Lahore 

Hyderabad

Friday, July 16/

12pm 

In front of Hyderabad Press Club

Contact 

Nisar Lighari 

Youth Secretary, Labour Party Pakistan 

03342618651

.

.

Sign 'Save Lahore Canal' Petition

Here is the link to the Petition: Save Lahore Canal Petition

To: The Citizens of Lahore

As you may have heard, The Punjab government is planning to widen the road on both sides of the Lahore Canal, from Thokar Niaz Baig to Dharampura, as a so-called solution for the congestion on the canal road due to the rapidly increasing automobile population. The Punjab Chief Minister had announced that the project would begin immediately after Eid-ul-Azha, however, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry took suo moto notice and effectively restrained the government from commencing work on the project on 27 November 2009. The government has not fulfilled its legal obligation of carrying out an EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) for the project and the lack of transparency of the program is depriving the citizens of Lahore from having a say in this change.

Sign the Petition

It is the consensus of a great number of organizations and groups of concerned citizens that the Rs 3.15 billion project violates basic principles of traffic design and will not only prove ineffective in countering traffic congestion, but also lead to an outstanding number of problems related to the well-being of the public and the environment. Widened roads have historically proven to only end up attracting more traffic, and the government's focus on providing for the car-owning citizen over the abounding majority (which requires public transport, sidewalks, public toilets, phones and drinking water) is entirely against the principles of equity. The project also means the cutting down of several thousand old trees and losing over 50 acres of the green belt, which is sure to lead to a staggering number of environmental problems including rising temperatures and carbon and toxic content, not to mention the loss of ancient species of trees and shrubs that provide shelter to a variety of birds and small animals. The historical, environmental, recreational and aesthetic value of this green space cannot be stressed enough.

Sign the Petition

We demand that our voice be heard to address these critical issues and help preserve the beauty and grandeur of our city.

Sincerely,

Created by Members of Lahore Chitrkar, and written by Shahid Mirza (info@lahorechitrkar.com).

Sign the Petition

Sri Lankan team attacked, serious security lapses

By Farooq Tariq

Dear all,

I am writing this observation after one and half hour of the incident. I am watching Pakistani television channels and receiving calls about the attack on Sri Lankan cricket team at Liberty Chowk Lahore this morning at 8.40am. The place is next to Asma Jehanghir's home and office.

Seven police men killed and six Sri Lankan cricket players injured in a direct firing, lasting 25 minutes.

Watching different channels and looking at the footage of the attack, it is clear that religious fundamentalists have stuck. They were four of them with hand grenades, rocket launchers, modern rifles and other sophisticated weapons. They were with small beard and apparently looked like Pushtoon.

The government is claiming that they were able to save the Sri Lankan team. I was shocked to hear the top Lahore police officers saying that there was no security lapses.

It could have been avoided by proper security measures. One must see the incident in the background of the political and bureaucratic changes that took place during last one week.

The Lahore top police's officers were transferred and new people were brought mainly to suppress the proposed long march of lawyers due on 12 March and resistence by PMLN supporters against the toppling of their Punjab government.

The top Lahore police officer, a loyalist of PPP has been brought from Quetta, Baluchistan. He has not yet settled properly. His priority was us, advocates and other political activists demanding an end dictatorial measures. Yesterday, a meeting of Punjab governor, police officers and top bureaucrats discussed in a special meeting how to stop the proposed long march. They decided, according to todays papers, to go for mass arrests. There is no mention of any hint of discussions on Sri Lanka team security, in todays news papers.

They were too busy in planning to stop the opposition demonstrations and bringing their loyalists to key posts. Media is full of such reports during the last one week since the Supreme Court decision against Sharif brothers and imposition of governor rule.

I know the place of the incident very well. It seems from the footages that the terrorists were running freely and firing. Few police men on the round about of Liberty would have been enough to notice the presence of these terrorists. Today, It was a routine security measures for the team. A police van in front, one on the back of the team bus, an ambulance and that is it. Even a governor of Punjab would have more security measure than this. Whole area is cordoned off in such cases.

There is no arrest of terrorists. One private channel newspaper journalist who watched the firing told that the terrorists first attacked the police in the front. They even went near to an injured police officer and showered him with more bullets.

He told that the team is saved by the bus driver of the team and not by police. Had he gone to the direction of the cricket stadium, after the firing, the terrorist would have done more damage. He went to another direction and were able to minimize the damage. Our condolences for the families of those killed and sympathies with the Sri Lanka cricket team.

It seems clear that serious security lapses have occurred. They were too busy in other things. The present Punjab government must accept the responsibility of security lapses.

This Message Has Been Sent Using BlackBerry Internet Service from Mobilink

Socialist Pakistan News (SPN) is managed by supporters of Weekly Mazdoor Jeddojuhd and Labour Party PakistanYahoo! Groups Links

From Ijaz Syed