The leadership of the Awami Workers Party (AWP) expresses its regret at the resignation of Comrade Farooq Tariq from the party.

In an official statement, AWP President Yousuf Mustikhan and secretary-general Akhar Hussain Advocate said: “Comrade Farooq was the founding general secretary of AWP and one of the driving forces behind the rebuilding of the Left in Pakistan. We do not wish to see him leave the AWP’s fold, but we also respect his decision and are certain he will continue playing a pivotal role in our collective task of building the socialist movement in Pakistan. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with him in the near and long-term future.

“We would like to stress that Comrade Farooq has taken this decision in his personal capacity and that most of the former members of the Labour Party that merged into the AWP with him continue to remain committed to building the party.

“AWP was formed with an aim to overcome the outdated sectarian differences of the 20th century Left and build a party adapted to the new realities of our time. Even if some of those differences continue to persist, our experience has confirmed that our decision was correct; we have grown and strengthened as we have figured out ways of working together.

“There must be no turning back in the process of building a popular party of the Left in Pakistan. In these times of crisis and repression, AWP continues to be committed to bringing together all strands of the progressive movements and forces in Pakistan and will continue to reach out to and organize workers, students, women, nations and broader society for radical change.

“Let us resolve to come together in the spirit of openness, self-reflection, and dialogue to respond to the enormous collective challenges that face us in society,” the statement concluded.