The Awami Workers Party (AWP) on Sunday organised its 3rd District Congress vowing to build on the Party’s existing work to spread the ideals and ideology of socialism as the only solution to socio-economic crises in Pakistan as well as in the world.
The AWP said that only a complete transformation of Pakistan’s establishment-centric political system can guarantee basic economic and political freedoms to all of the country’s people.
According to the press release, over 200 members and delegates along with sympathisers of the party attended the event that included musical performances of revolutionary anthems by Ammar Rashid and Wasim Sakhi.
On the occasion, Nasir Mahmood stated that he was delighted with the manner in which Left politics was attracting younger people especially since 65% of our country’s population consists of them.
He said that PTI’s claim to represent this youthful population has been exposed after only 8 months in power, and that sloganeering will not address the educational, employment and recreational needs of young people. He said that AWP possesses a comprehensive plan to revamp the educational curriculum and initiate a massive public works programme that prove that it is the only party that speaks to the youth.
General Secretary AWP Syed Abdul Hameed Bukhari laid out the plans for the next three areas which would be centered around a threefold expansion of the party membership and Cadre along with ideological strengthening through political schools and study circles.
Bukhari added that in order to spread socialist ideology, there was a need to, “radically rethink the manner in which we engage with people who are not necessarily initiated into formal politics and political history of the 20th Century, people and groups will listen only if we interact with them with empathy and concern but it is our job to make sure that we are able to intelligently explain to them our revolutionary ideas in a simpler way without being too simplistic.” In this regard, he emphasised the importance of the new digital technologies as mainstream parties and the establishment completely dominate the corporate media and it is on social media platforms that AWP’s ideas can gain more traction with time.
Marriya Malik, the newly elected District Women’s Secretary, addressed the Congress by starting by say that, “we need to understand that there can be no socialism without women’s liberation and no women’s liberation without socialism”. Even though there have been concrete changes in the condition of women over the past century, for instance more girls are going to school and more women are participating in the formal labour force but there is a substantial distance to cover and capitalist patriarchy reigns supreme throughout the globe in one form or an other with varying degrees of intensity in a fundamentally unequal relationship. Furthermore, “we need to understand that the so called progressive neoliberalism characterised by greater diversity is only going to solve the troubles of the top 10% of women and do nothing for the rest apart from constricting them in precarious service and care work dominated global economy”. Women’s labor, especially reproduction, which is fundamental to the functioning of capitalism is not even considered work that should be compensated or paid. Finally, she remarked that there can be no emancipation without socialising what has been condemned as the private sphere for so long.
In his address, Dr. Aasim Sajjad Akhtar said that, “resistance is necessary but not sufficient for embedding revolutionary socialism in society”. He said that it is important to not only confront immediate challenges but to develop a vision for the future as well. “The left in this country need to learn from successful forms of radical organizing e.g. Latin American (Chavez/Morales), USA (Sanders) and Britain (Corbyn). There is also a need for all progressive circles in Pakistan to come together in the form of a minimum agenda since the choice at this juncture is very clear – fascist barbarism or revolutionary socialism”.
Other speakers included AWP deputy-general secretary Ismat Shahjehan, AWP Punjab leader Alia Amirali, Akram Bunda of the Pakistan Workers Federation, Women’s Democratic Front leader Tooba Syed and Aunil Muntazir of the Progressive Students Federation