PESHAWAR, Feb 26: Only progressive forces are capable of defeating the exploitative socio-economic system that is being promoted by imperialism and its local agents, running the political show in the country.

This was stated by most of the speakers who attended an anti-imperialism conference organised by the Mazdoor Kisan Party at the Nishtar Hall here on Sunday.

A large number of activists of other left-leaning parties also attended the event.

They said that unless imperialism was defeated politically, there would be no change in the status quo that had already lasted 59 years. They blamed the ruling clique of turning the country into a banana republic, run by feudal lords and civilian-military bureaucracy either in the name of religion or in the garb of undefined national interests.

Speakers included Pakistan People’s Party (Shaheed Bhutto group) chairperson Ghinwa Bhutto, National Workers’ Party president Abid Hasan Manto, former secretary-general of the Tehreek-i-Insaf Meraj Mohammad Khan and MKP chief Afzal Khamosh.

Detailed discussions were held on intrigues of imperialism in South Asia and role of progressive forces against human rights violations by the US and allied forces in Afghanistan and in Iraq. They said Pakistani rulers – both military and civilian — had been playing in the hands of imperialists and were still looking towards the imperialist forces for their political turn in the country. They said: “People need a revolutionary change to save the country from the hold of military dictators and their political lackeys. It has become imperative for the progressive and patriotic forces to resist the aggressive moves by imperialism in this region, to prepare themselves to bear the burden of neo-colonialism.”

The chief of her own faction of the PPP, Ghinwa Bhutto, said that only the working class could reform and save the country. She said that Pakistan had experienced mostly of military and civilian dictatorships and never a real democracy. She stressed the need for organising progressive forces to bring about a posititive change in the country.

Noted lawyer and chief of the National Workers’ Party, Abid Hasan Manto, said that his party was an integral part of socialist forces struggling for people’s rights. He called for early abolition of feudalism from the country. He said their struggle was part of the global struggle being waged against imperialism.

Meraj Mohammad Khan said that bigots and zealots were natural allies of dictators. He demanded full provincial autonomy for all federating units.