20 January 2004	Tuesday	27 Ziqa'ad 1424

MUMBAI, Jan 19: The Pakistan Social Forum on Monday staged a rally in the World Social Forum, condemning the imposition of war on the people of Iraq and other parts of the world.

The rally comprised political and social movements, trade unions, NGOs and media groups. Chanting slogans against globalization, the Bush administration's war in Iraq and its growing unilateralism, they paraded from one end of the venue of the WSF to another.

Speaking at the rally, Rasool Bux Palejo raised the water and other issues and demanded equitable sharing of world resources among rich and poor countries. He called upon the people of the world to struggle against neo-colonialism and imperialist designs of the US.

Human Rights activist Asma Jahangir criticized world powers ruled by corporate interests and said that people of the world would make it impossible for dictators and aggressors to succeed.

Farooq Tariq of the Labour Party Pakistan spoke of the initiatives his party had taken for launching an alliance of progressive forces to check religious fanaticism and fundamentalism.

Dr Fouzia Saeed of the Action Aid Pakistan called for easing visa restrictions for increasing people-to-people contacts between India and Pakistan.

Dr Abdul Malik from Balochistan said the struggle for a just and peaceful world would continue. The People's Theatre group from Hyderabad presented skits on anti-globalization, the World Bank and related themes.