Kashmir: One year on! End the occupation of Iraq!

Today, one year on from the US imperialist led war on Iraq, anti-war demos and protests are being held throughout India, Pakistan and across the dividing Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir by various workers organisations, trade unionists, anti-war groups.

In Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), the protest against US imperialism’s led war on Iraq was organised by the “Anti-War Committee” (an imitative of CWI members in Kashmir) and included activists of National Awami Party, National Students Federation, Jammu and Kashmir KLiberation Front. A protest rally was organised and demonstrators carried banners which read, “End The Occupation Of Iraq”, “No More Blood For Oil”, “No to anti-worker Policies – Scrap the Special Power Act”, “Restore Students Unions”.

Various speakers including chief organiser NAP, Niaz Khan, and Anwar Khan ex-president NAP, together with speakers from the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, condemned the US imperialism and it’s allies for the war against innocent Iraqis of which more than 10,000 haven been killed.

One of the speakers explained: “There can be no peace on the basis of capitalism and called for ending of occupation of Iraq, Palestine, and Kashmir… Imperialism and capitalism create untold problems of wars, civil wars, poverty, hunger, unemployment for the masses the world over. In the name of “war against terrorism” has increased attacks on the working people through cuts in welfare, education, health and other sectors through policies of privatization. Imperialism and capitalism can only be defeated through the organised struggles of working people”.

Speakers condemned the anti-worker policies of Musharraf regime and that of it’s puppet right-wing Muslim Conference government in Pakistani Occupied Kashmir and demanded the scrapping of the Special Power Act and restoration of over 300 public sector workers who lost their jobs.

The following demands were agreed at the end of the rally and demonstration:

• End the Occupation of Iraq, solidarity with the Iraqi youth and workers.
• No to imperialism and colonialism, let the Iraqi people decide their future.
• No to division of Kashmir, stop the fencing of the Line Of Control and withdraw all troops from both sides in Kashmir.
• End the anti-worker laws, scrap the Special Power Act and Industrial Relations Ordinance 2002.
• Restore all public sector workers sacked under the Special Powers Act now.

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