KARACHI: While unveiling its manifesto for July 25 election, the Awami Workers Party of Pakistan (AWP) on Monday called upon the millions of workers of the country to play their part in ensuring that education, employment, health, housing and other basic necessities were provided to the people.
Advocate Akhtar Hussain, secretary general, and Yousuf Mustikhan, senior vice president of the AWP, issued the party’s 10-point agenda as their manifesto at the Karachi Press Club while saying that their party believed in uprooting the existing worn-out system in Pakistan which was based on exploitation of the poor.
“We are presenting the 10-point agenda to reform the existing system,” said Mr Hussain.
Abolishing the medieval feudal and tribal system in the country topped their manifesto. The party said a minority of ruthless feudal lords and tribal chieftains had dominated more than 60 per cent of rural society. Besides, a sizeable number of “absent landlords”, who had been allotted agriculture land, were guarding the whole system.
Other points in the manifesto included promising people-friendly development and guaranteeing jobs, handing over of nationalised industries and nationalisation of large industries, and those units being run by the armed forces, its allied departments and other government departments.
The manifesto promises Rs30,000 as minimum wage and abolition of the existing contractual system.
Besides, class-based educational system would be abolished and 10pc of the GDP would be spent on education and student unions would be revived.
“Health will be a basic constitutional right and 10pc of GDP will be spent on this while private hospitals’ fee and expenditures would be regulated,” said the AWP manifesto.
It also promised end to gender discrimination and greater provincial autonomy leaving defence, currency and inter-provincial communication to the federation.
Besides, independent foreign policy would be adopted, which would be based on the country’s resolve that it would support democracy and peace in the world and oppose the imperialistic powers.
“We will promote democratic and political freedoms, which are essential for a country’s economic and social uplift. Besides, religion will not be linked with state matters,” said Mr Mustikhan.
Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2018
