Review: Facing The Musharraf Dictatorship

Dictatorship: an Activist Narrative by Farooq Tariq, Good Books, Lahore. Available from Resistance Books. Reviewed by Piers Mostyn This is the story of the struggle against Pakistan's Musharraf dictatorship as seen through the eyes of Farooq Taria, a leader of the Labour Party Pakistan. It is based on articles he wrote as the events Pakistan is a sectarian state that was carved out of Britain's Indian imperial outpost. Armed to the teeth by imperialism to act as counter-weight to was the organising base for operations in Afghanistan that first spawned the Taliban and Pakistan has remained almost throughout under the grip of a military dictatorship with short interludes of apparent democracy marred by extensive vote rigging and corruption. The political scene has been dominated by religious and nationalist parties on the one hand and stooges of imperialism or fronts for the In this seemingly unfavourable opening emerged in 2007 and 2008. Musharraf's attempt to remove the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and put him under house arrest was met with defiance by a mass movement of lawyers and judges. The underlying with its Washington backers facing increasing difficulties in Iraq and Afghanistan - was exposed as it lashed out again The catalyst for the removal of Musharraf came with Benazir Bhutto's return to the country mission with the dictatorship. Given the history of links between the secret services and religious fundamentalist terrorists, final responsibility for her assassination will perhaps never be determined In the midst of all this the LPP understood that the key to fighting for basic democratic rights was through making alliances, immediately throwing itself into the lawyers' movement. Sometimes this involved tactical alliances with nationalist and religious organisations, with the LPP focussing on the central questions such as the basis for unity and who is in control. There were clearly political risks involved and much of this would be anathema to those steeped in the more sectarian traditions of the British left. But there is much to learn here. In the process the party's leaders were shot, kidnapped and imprisoned. (Farooq Taria himself was jailed on several occasions). But the LPP grew rapidly as it placed itself at the heart of the struggle for democratic rights. Internal debate was clearly an important feature, for instance over the most controversial tactical decision: whether to support a boycott of the elections that eventually removed Musharraf in 2008. The LPP understood the importance of international solidarity and constantly sought to build alliances with other left groups. But the party also maintained its own profile and programme: supporting strikes and occupations, setting up an anti-privatisation alliance and fighting for women's rights. Indeed the involvement of women in the party is highly visible, with photos of rallies and marches frequently led by young women bearing red flags and banners. Launched in 1997, the LPP is now 7000 strong. It has recently declared itself in solidarity with the Fourth International.