KARACHI, Jule 2: Real democracy and industrial progress cannot be expected in Pakistan until the feudal system is abolished.

This was stated by speakers at a meeting held at the Karachi Press Club on Sunday to recall the historic struggle by the peasants of Hasht Nagar against feudalism. They paid glowing tributes to the martyred farmers.

The meeting, which was organised by the Pakistan Mazdoor Kisan Party (PMKP), was presided over by its President Afzal Khamosh. Those who spoke on the occasion included Abid Hasan Manto, Mairaj Mohammad Khan, Tufail Abbas, Yusuf Masti Khan, Zubair-ur-Rehman and Hamza Marwat.

Mr Khamosh said that both agricultural and industrial sectors in Pakistan were experiencing loot and plunder by multinational companies. The concept of consumer culture and free trade was destroying the industrial sector and it had reduced it to a consumer society, the sphere of which was being expanded through consumer banking.

“The entire burden of the consumer society has been put on our agriculture sector, which is also devastated for commercial gains as whatever income being generated through agricultural products is wasted in mobile phone and vehicle trade instead of being utilised in procuring agricultural inputs,” he observed.

Holding feudal lords, military generals and capitalists ruling over the country responsible for the economic crisis, the PMKP chief said these very people had been enjoying all benefits of the present economic system while the common man was anxiously looking for water, power and sugar. This is the first jolt as the free trade policy is in its initial stage.

Abid Hasan Manto said that military dictators were protecting feudalism and capitalism. When the peasants of Hasht Nagar can lay down their life in the struggle to protect their lands, why cannot industrial workers launch such a struggle to protect their institutions from privatisation? he argued.

Mairaj Mohammad Khan said that the government’s move to increase working hours at factories was not only against Islamic principles, but also contrary to the Constitution and ethics.

He said the government had privatised 155 out of 160 concerns and only 14 of them were operational. Pointing out that Islam was disapproved of a class-based system, he said the left parties had been struggling for the rule of workers in the country.

Yusuf Masti Khan claimed that the privatisation of KESC had turned the city of lights, Karachi, into a city of darkness. Had the corporation been handed over to its workers, the city would have met the fate, he added.