FAISALABAD, Pakistan, May 6 — Today, thousands of workers were here to welcome home seven power loom workers who were released from the Central Jail after serving four-and-a-half years. The workers led a mass march through the main streets and industrial sections of the city, from 10am to 8pm, ending in a mass rally with militant chants to welcome the freed workers home.
Six others remain in prison. In all, 14 workers were convicted by the Anti-Terrorist Court (ATC) and sentenced to a total 490 years on various charges. Their only crime was organizing power loom workers to demand a government wage increase in all Faisalabad industries, especially for low-wage power loom workers. One young leader, Raja Arshad, went underground to escape arrest, and experienced many hardships. He died three months ago of a massive heart attack.
The conviction was challenged in Higher Court soon after the ATC draconian order. After a long legal battle, the court ordered the immediate release of the workers but refused to waive the fines against them. So far, we have raised enough money to win the release of these seven. We are on a campaign to collect enough money to pay for the release of the remaining six or they will face another 17 months in jail. We decided to first win their release, and then challenge the fines in the Supreme Court.
This is a significant victory, and shows that workers will not be terrorized into submission. Workers here have been caught in the crossfire of US imperialism’s “War on Terror”, and are about to find themselves in the midst of the inter-imperialist rivalry, as China challenges the US for influence here. The only way for workers to meet the challenges of fascist terror and imperialist war is to build a mass PLP and fight for communism. We will have more news of workers’ struggles in future CHALLENGEs.