[Onthebarricades] PAKISTAN: Leftists protest budget

[Andy]

On Monday, 18th of June, the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party (CMKP) and People's Rights Movement protested against the recent budget outside the Parliament House, Islamabad. The protestors from CMKP were holding placards that read: "down with the anti-poor, pro-elite budget"; "free judiciary, media, and people"; "down with the Military Inc."; "down with fascism, power to the people". The agitators raised slogans against military dictatorship, the burdensome expenses of Pakistan Army, and their involvement in businesses.

Listening to the slogans of the "reds", Liaqat Baloch, MNA, approached the demonstration, and told that it has been a long time since he heard the slogans of the *surkhas*, the last time being during the college. He appreciated the work being done by the leftist forces in the present anti-military struggle. As soon as he left the microphone, the agitators raised the slogan: "zinda hein surkhey, zinda hein"; "Lenin ke jialey, zinda hein"; "insaaf ke khatir, zinda hein".

The protest was given good coverage by the media. The pictures of the CMKP cadres holding the placards with radical messages appeared on a number of newspapers.

Media Coverage:

Demo demands cut in defence budget
Staff Reporter

http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_IsbNews.aspx?dtlid=103082&catid=17&date=06/19/2007&fcatid=14

ISLAMABAD: The People's Rights Movement (PRM), Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party (CMKP) and other leftwing political organisations Monday held a protest demonstration outside the Parliament House urging government to reduce defence budget.

They also condemned the statements of federal defence minister and other government functionaries who have said the defence budget could not be made public and there was no chance of reducing it.

The protestors were holding placards and chanted slogans garnering the attention of members of Parliament. Asha Amirali of the PRM said the defence minister's statement was deplorable as it showed the utter contempt that the ruling class harboured towards working people and their democratic demands.


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