LAHORE, Nov 17: The chequered history has finally prompted left-wing individuals, groups and small political parties to forge a party to address issues being faced by commoners, says Baba Jan, vice president of newly established Awami Workers’ Party.

The AWP has been formed after merger of Labour Party Pakistan, Awami Party and Workers Party.

Talking to Dawn, Baba Jan said the successive governments could not set country’s direction. “Though left-wingers have been watching the situation for a long time, they couldn’t succeed to enter politics enthusiastically because of the culture that always protected vested interests of capitalists and feudal lords.”

He said right-wing parties were always promoted in Pakistan. It was a ‘conspiracy hatched by capitalists and feudal lords’ to hold country’s command by crushing leftists with the support of dictatorial and democratic governments, he added.

“Leftists were always dubbed anti-Islamists. This is why a majority of people believe that left-wingers are an anti-Islam force. So we need to tell the public at large that secularism is the concept that protects religions including Islam more than others.”

Jan said people should know how religious parties/groups helped the US in Afghanistan at a time when it fought to disintegrate Soviet Union.

He said people should understand the situation at least now by studying/comparing history of right and left wings and support those fighting for bringing about a ‘real change’ through socialism in the country.

The AWP vice president also criticised the United States for off and on propagating against left-wing groups for achieving its vested interests in the region. “Now perhaps the time has come to disintegrate the US, as a number of its states have unanimously started demanding secession from the mainland. The hard times are because of pro-capitalist and anti-worker policies adopted by the US rulers time to time.”

Talking about his detention in Gilgit Jail a couple of months ago, Baba Jan said he was punished by the law-enforcement agencies to mobilise the Attabad Lake affectees for their rights and bring the Shia and Sunni prisoners closer.

“As I led various protest demonstrations/rallies over the Attabad Lake issue, the police arrested me under 16-MPO (maintenance of public order) and several other sections. In the jail I saw many Shia and Sunni inmates fighting with each other and decided to start efforts to forge peace in the prison,” he said.

He reiterated that the Awami Workers Party would bring about a change in the country. “At present we are focussing on gathering all left-wing groups as a part of our strategy to field AWP candidates in a number of constituencies.”

He said his party would never forge any sort of political alliance with partners of the current coalition government.