LAHORE, April 8: Ten left-wing political parties and groups have decided to organise rallies in six cities on Sunday (tomorrow) against the so-called war on terror in solidarity with the United National Anti-war Committee’s protests in New York and San Francisco. The demonstrations will be organised in Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi, Hyderabad, Peshawar and Multan. In the provincial metropolis, the venue will be Charing Cross on The Mall.

The parties and groups who have joined hands are Labour Party Pakistan, Workers Party Pakistan, Awami Party, Awami Jamhoori Forum, Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party, Revolutionary Socialist Movement, National Students Federation, National Trade Union Federation, Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee and Progressive Youth Front.

In a joint press statement, the organisers said: “As the world nears the tenth anniversary of the so-called war on terror, the poisonous effects of American imperialism are evident everywhere.

“Afghanistan and Iraq lie in tatters, their people are the victims of the ongoing crimes of their occupiers, while the war has been expanded into Pakistan, where US drone attacks have claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians,” they said.

The Pakistan Army, encouraged and funded by the US, had launched murderous counter-insurgency campaigns in the Northwest, displacing millions.

After drowning Iraq and Afghanistan in blood, Western imperialism had now sunk its fangs into Libya, they said, adding attempts by America, Britain and France to portray the bombardment of Libya as a humanitarian act were totally fraudulent.

Saudi Arabia sent its troops to crush the protesters of Bahrain, yet here America and NATO silently watched, or rather, covertly assisted their ally, they regretted.

In this context, they said, the urgency of reviving a strong anti-imperialist movement could not be overstated.

“The Left parties in Pakistan stand in full support of the efforts of their brothers and sisters in the US to rebuild the American anti-war movement.”