PAKISTAN: Thousand protest Iraq occupation

Farooq Tariq, Lahore

More than 4000 people protested on March 18 in Lahore against the Iraq occupation by US imperialists and other allied forces. The rally, one of the largest held by progressive forces in some time, was organised by the Anti-War Committee Pakistan, an alliance of several political, social and trade union organisations.

Protesters carried placards reading "Hands off Iraq!" and "No to Iraq occupation!". They chanted slogans against US President George Bush and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, including "No to American imperialism", "Americans leave Afghanistan!", "No to Bush-Musharraf alliance" and "No to militarisation".

Speakers condemned US imperialism's re-colonisation and stressed the need for unity of the progressive forces to fight the onslaught of the neoliberal agenda imposed by the dictates of international institutions like the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organisation.

Demonstrations also took place in Karachi, Multan, Islamabad and Peshawar.

From Green Left Weekly, March 22, 2006.

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From GLW issue 661