ISLAMABAD, Feb 26 There is a need to change the status quo politics in the country and the progressive parties have to unify for democracy and social uplift of the masses.

This was stated by eminent constitutional lawyer Abid Hasan Minto, who is also the president of Workers Party, here on Friday.

He was speaking on the occasion of joining of People's Rights Movement (PRM) in the newly-formed Workers Party Pakistan following the initial merger of the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party and National Workers Party.

Mr Minto said that left had historically played a critical role in the struggle for democracy and workers rights in Pakistan and around the world but since the early 1990s it suffered a decline.

“The radical Islamism has benefited from the vacuum created by left's decline,” Mr Minto added. However, the rightwing does not have a meaningful answer to the devastations caused by capitalist imperialism.

He said the mainstream parties in the country were representing the point of view of the establishment, feudal and vested interests.

Highlighting the formation of Workers Party, he said it was an effort to unite all the leftwing parties at a single platform to boost the struggle for betterment of ordinary citizens.

He said Workers Party would hold a national convention at the end of March, adding “We are in touch with other progressive groups to make the Workers Party Pakistan strong and more effective.”

Replying to a question, he said the key target of WPP was to empower the farmers and ordinary citizens.

“As long as feudal system is there and society is controlled by power lobbies, progress and prosperity cannot be expected for the masses.”

Mr Minto said after the cold war the world had seen more sufferings with oppressors becoming stronger, military budgets increasing and the social sector suffering the most.

The situation is the same in Pakistan and huge defence spending is one of the reasons for limited social sector and development budget.

PRM representatives Asha Amirali, Salman Haider, Ahmed Satti and Aasim Sajjad said they had been closely involved with major working class struggles and democratic political movements during the last eight years.

They said it was the need of the hour to build a single party that can bring all anti-imperialist and anti-establishment forces together for strengthening democracy in the country.

They also expressed support for provincial autonomy to Balochistan, Sindh and the NWFP as well as the rights of all other ethnic nationalities.