LAHORE: The Haqooq-i-Khalq Movement convened a gathering of various organisations for a discussion on the challenges being faced by the citizens. The representatives of trade unions, professional associations, youth and student groups, grassroots organisations and social movements drafted a people’s agenda for the economy.

Activist Dr Ammar Ali Jan said the Awami Action Committee had been formed after the meeting with an objective to launch a mass campaign regarding the upcoming budget and also to organise a powerful social movement. The meeting worked on the possible solutions to unemployment and rising inflation.

On April 5, another meeting will be held in Lahore, which would be followed by meetings in Karachi and other cities and districts where they would come up with an alternative budget and pressure the government to take up that budget.

“We will pass resolutions for this alternative budget,” said Mr Ammar.

“The corporate world, generals, bureaucrats, feudal lords and other bigwigs have complete influence on the budget and its process,” he added.

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Secretary General Nasir Zaidi said: “We must unite and give the people some alternative. Pakistan needs to focus on public issues”. He declared that the PFUJ, Punjab Union of Journalists and All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation (APNEC) were part of the Awami Action Committee.

Mr Zaidi added that the press in Pakistan was going through the worst retrenchment ever where thousands of workers were being unemployed and there was no wage structure for the electronic media.

“The wage board has been notified after 18 years but still the media owners are not willing to pay according to the wage board. The press freedom is also being curtailed.”

Nasir Mansoor from the National Trade Union Federation said since the intervention of the International Monetary Fund agreement, the workers had suffered even more.

“According to a study, more than eight million citizens have gone below the poverty line, and if this goes on, five million more will be in the list of the poor. Salaries have been reduced by 35pc and have not been kept in line with currency devaluation. There was a 40pc increase on food items. This is inhuman and forcing people towards brutality,” he said.

Farooq Tariq, the convener of the Lahore Left Front, said on April 5, thousands of activists under the banner of Awami Action Committee would take to the street and protest against the enemies of the people.

“People have no trust in the government,” he declared. He also said they had planned to march on Islamabad in the coming days to try and meet the state officials.

Dr Aliya of the Young Doctors Association and a Women Demo Front member said the poor were not being provided with medicines and the health services were being privatised.

“The YDA has been fighting against the government’s move. Where will the poor go if everything becomes privatized?” she asked.

Faiza from the Punjab Professors and Lecturers Association (PPLA) said apart from the poor, even middle class people were badly affected and all sectors were being destroyed.

“This is being done in the name of reforms and the poor will soon not be able to acquire education. For them, education is a sellable commodity.”

Mohsin Abdali and Abrarullah, president of Mehnatkash Labour Federation, KP, also spoke.

The speakers also condemned the violence against the students at universities and other educational institutions while demanding change in curriculum, increase in budget as opposed to cut in education budget.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2020