LAHORE: Left-wing organisations and groups have decided to protest against the ‘flawed’ justice in the Sahiwal tragedy on Nov 14, while condemning police action against a demonstration staged in Muzaffarabad, AJK, against Indian atrocities in the held Kashmir.

A meeting of the Lahore Left Front (LLF), a platform of Lahore-based Leftist organisations and groups, on Sunday resolved to hold a protest demonstration on Nov 14 against what they called travesty of justice resulting in the court verdict on the Sahiwal incident in which four people, including a couple and their young daughter, were gunned down on a road in broad daylight.

The meeting also decided that the Leftist groups would show solidarity with the doctors agitating under the banner of Grand Health Alliance by participating in their protest campaign against the government’s plans to privatise healthcare facilities.

Saying the privatisation of the state-run hospitals would be a great loss for the health of poor people, it demanded an immediate withdrawal of the Punjab Medical Teaching Institutions (Reforms) Ordinance 2019.

The LLF strongly condemned the ‘police attack’ on a peaceful gathering of People’s National Alliance Kashmir in Muzaffarabad on Oct 21 in which two people were allegedly killed and over 100 injured at a time when repression in India-held Kashmir was at its peak. The meeting also discussed the ‘Azadi March’ announced by Maulana Fazlur Rehman and decided to stay away from it. However, it resolved that the front would not lend any support to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government and do its best to organise the working class against its “neo liberal policies”.

It decided that the front would participate in the progressive students ‘Education Campaign’ rally to be held on Nov 29 in Lahore.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2019