Left-Wing Mazdoor Kisan Party Protests
Arrest of Its Chairman and Other Senior Leaders in Pakistan
A large protest meeting was held in Charsadda, in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Wednesday 19 November, to condemn the arrest of the leadership of the left-wing Mazdoor Kisan Party (MKP).
The protesters raised slogans against the Pakistani government and denounced its attempts to repress the popular land rights movement in the province, alleging it is done to appease the powerful land-owning classes in the region. They demanded the withdrawal of all false cases against the MKP leadership and their immediate release from prison.
Chairman of the MKP, Salar Fayaz Ali, and two other leaders, Momin Khan and Sher Mohammad, were arrested by the security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 13 November.
They have been charged under the country’s anti-terrorist act and have been sent to prison in Charsadda. The MKP also claimed the arrested leaders are facing inhumane conditions in prison.
A few days earlier, Ali and others resisted and stopped the illegal demolition of some houses belonging to the farmers at Gazal Kalan village in the province. On 13 November, they were summoned to a court in a case filed last month and arrested there.
The MKP has called the arrests illegal and a “forced disappearance” and demanded the immediate release of all arrested leaders.
Salar and other MKP leaders have repeatedly been the victim of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa state’s highhandedness in their attempt to shield the interests of the big landlords in the region. They face threats, intimidation, and arrests on a regular basis for their attempts to organize and mobilize local farmers and peasants.
Fayaz has been arrested several times in the past. His younger brother, Salar Amjad Ali, and others were arrested in July, after they launched an agitation against the illegal land grab in the region.
A massive raid was conducted at Fayaz’s residence in October and a case was registered against him under the 1997 anti-terrorism act.
Resistance will continue
Various leaders have condemned Salar Fayaz Ali’s arrests and demanded his immediate release, claiming such oppressive tactics will not silence the popular resistance to violations of farmers’ rights.
In a massive gathering on the occasion of the anniversary of the historic Hashtnagar peasant movement on 27 October, Ali had anticipated his arrest and vowed to continue the struggle for the rights of the peasants and farmers in the region irrespective of the oppressive methods adopted by the state.
Reacting to Ali’s arrest, MKP leader Irfan Ali issued a statement on Friday calling the arrests illegal. He demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners, asserting that peaceful resistance is the constitutional and fundamental right of every citizen of the country. He underlined that no amount of oppression will make MKP accept the attempts to take away the rights of common people.
MKP has also alleged that Ali and others are being tortured in custody and demanded strict action against the police officers involved in making the illegal arrests and the mistreatment of its leaders in prison.
Rubina Jamil, general secretary of the All Pakistan Trade Union Federation (APTUF) questioned the repeated arrests of Salar Fayaz Ali, claiming he is being punished for raising questions related to the common people.
She warned that if he and other MKP leaders are not released immediately and all the false cases against them are not withdrawn APTUF and MKP, along with other unions, will carry out protests across Pakistan.
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