The Committee of Progressive Pakistanis of Canada welcomes the announcement of the merger of three left and democratic parties, namely the Awami Party, Labour Party and Workers Party, into the unified Awami Workers Party (People and Workers Party) of Pakistan. We live in a world beset by capitalist and imperialist domination, unending wars, growing poverty and inequality and social injustice.
In the specific case of Pakistan, national oppression – especially of the Baloch people – fundamentalism, discrimination against religious minorities and women, authoritarian rule, hostility toward India, servility to American policies and rank exploitation have been the bane of its existence since its creation in 1947.
While the ruling alliance of the feudal/capitalist elite, the army and high-level bureaucracy is to blame for this state of affairs, opposition to its injurious rule has been weakened by disunity amongst left forces.
Many mergers have taken place previously; the CPPC hopes that this one will be long lasting, indeed permanent. The pooling of organizational strength by these three parties into one will, we hope, lead to a more effective fight-back against the ills that plague Pakistan.
While the Committee of Progressive Pakistani-Canadians and the Awami Workers Party work in different situations and circumstances, the people of both Canada and Pakistan have many problems in common and, hence, the aims of the CPPC in this country are somewhat similar to those of the AWP in Pakistan.
We wish the AWP success in its stated aims of struggling consistently against imperialism and for the genuine rights of the people and workers of Pakistan and in achieving a democratic, secular, egalitarian, peaceful, prosperous and, eventually, a socialist society free of foreign domination.
We further believe that in Pakistan, as in Canada, a common front in which all genuinely democratic, progressive, socialist and communist parties and forces cooperate with each other will be helpful in achieving goals serving the above goals.
Omar Latif
National Coordinator,
November 15, 2012