THE tense situation in the city hadn’t yet subsided. Almost all departments and institutions that had to do with the public were agitating against the government in one way or another. Thankfully, the violent streak in the agitation was somehow controlled.

On March 17, 1969 workers representing over 300 trade unions demonstrated peacefully by taking out a big procession in the city in support of the demands (which were basically to do with improved work environment) put forward by several groups. They started gathering at Merewether Tower from early morning for the procession which began at 10.15am and terminated at the Quaid-i-Azam’s mausoleum at 12.15pm where Dr A. M. Malik, president of the All Pakistan Confederation of Labourers, and Nabi Ahmad, president of the West Pakistan Workers Federation, delivered speeches. The protesters covered the three-mile distance in a peaceful manner, chanting ‘Pakistan hamara hai’, (Pakistan is ours), ‘Restore the right to strike’, ‘Do away with black labour laws and Press and Publications Ordinance’ etc. The call for the strike was given by the West Pakistan Joint Labour Council, a component of five trade federations.

Interestingly, the same day, the postal workers’ strike that lasted for 13 days was called off. How did it happen? The ministry of communications said ‘yes’ to what the workers were asking for. As a result, door-to-door delivery of mail resumed, and the postal authorities began clearance of letter boxes in the streets.

But this single tiny victory was not indicative of the large-scale unrest that had engulfed the Sindh capital. On March 18, the Working Journalists Calligraphists Union Karachi and the Karachi Union of Lino Workers and Compositors reiterated their demands for setting up the second wage board and considering lino workers and compositors as journalists, respectively.

This meant that the strikes were having a noticeable effect on the government otherwise they wouldn’t have carried on for that long a period. On the other hand, Yousuf H. Shirazi, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, addressing a press conference on March 22 claimed that about Rs1,000 million was lost in monetary terms in Karachi alone during the last five months of demonstrations with countless man-hours. He said the industrialists would have to pay about Rs100 million in wages for the man-hours lost. Giving out some of the details of the ‘colossal’ damage he highlighted revenue losses caused by cessation of production on account of income tax, corporation tax, sales tax and excise duties was estimated at Rs200m and the fall in the value of stocks and securities stood at about Rs500m. Imports and exports had equally suffered because of the strike in the dockyard. All sorts of demands, he complained, were being made and some of them could not possibly be met except at the cost of high prices ultimately affecting the consumer. He added that industrialists were ready to consider reasonable proposals by workers’ representatives provided all sections of workers agreed on that point. Mr Shirazi opposed the socialist system as unsuitable for Pakistan.

Speaking of anti-socialist remarks, on March 19, various ulema at a public meeting held under the auspices of the Majlis-i-Amal Jamat Ahle Sunnat at Liaquatabad exhorted the people not to welcome socialist leaders. They appealed for cooperation with the Jamaat to “eradicate the socialist movement”. According to them, socialist leaders through their statements were inciting the public to violence.

While all of this was going on, rumour had it that eminent poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz was going to replace the incumbent vice chancellor of the University of Karachi. On March 23, Faiz denied the report published in a newspaper, terming it totally baseless. He remarked, “I have no desire to occupy this or any other official position.”

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2019