Islamabad, January 23: In pursuance of the Federal Committee decisions taken at its meeting on December 24 and 25, 2016, three different committees of The Awami Workers Party (AWP) met at the residence of comrade Abid Hassan Minto in Lahore on January 22, 2017.
Members of the CPEC Committee, Party Organ Committee and ‘1917 Socialist Revolution Committee discussed thoroughly all issues and important decisions about organisational matters, activities and party position on various issues of national and international importance.

The committee members who attended the meeting were: Abid Hassan Minto, Akhtar Hussain, Dr Asim Sajjad, Haider Zaman, Sabauddin Saba, Khalid Mehmood and Farman Ali. AWP spokesperson Farooq Tariq Tariq and Organising secretary Javed Akhtar also attended the meeting and took part in the deliberations.

The decisions are as follows:

A. CPEC and development projects

While recognising the importance of regional cooperation and arrangements in fighting poverty and neoliberal economic agenda, it was decided that we will not oppose CPEC. It was also decided unanimously that a comprehensive document will be prepared on mega development projects keeping in view the concerns of the federating units and interests of the working class. It was decided that:

1. Comrade Haider Zaman’s paper will be adopted and further developed.
2. Comrade Asim Sajjad and Comrade Akhtar Hussain will prepare a document on CPEC with inputs from national units of KP, Balochistan, Punjab, Sindh and Gilgit-Baltistan.
3. The document will focus on the issues related to CPEC and other international development projects;
4. The impact of such projects on the ecology, environment, and demography of the federating units, GB and AJK;
5. the role of provinces in the decision-making and implementation of international accords on mega projects; their concerns about land acquisition and labour rights; democratic institutions role and fundamental rights of the people vis-a-vis implementing mega projects.
6. The committee will complete the draft document by end of January and submit to the Federal Executive Committee meeting for approval.

B. Structural shifts in global Capitalism and its impact on working class.

1. Comrade Asim Sajjad will prepare a document on “The structural shifts in global capitalism, technological development and its impact on the working class”. And Comrade Sabauddin Saba will prepare a document on “The evolution of societies ruled by communist parties including China, Vietnam and other countries”.
2. The two documents will be completed by the second week of March and will also be presented at the FEC meeting after getting them vetted by Minto sb.

2. Party Organ

The committee on Party Organ decided that:

1. An 8-page monthly circular will be published regularly from Lahore to disseminate information about party policies and activities among the party units and members.
2. Comrade Farooq Tariq and Comrade Khalid Mehmood will prepare, edit contents and publish the circular from March 2017.
3. Comrade Abid Minto will write its editorial.
4. All provincial and district units will send reports and photographs about the activities of their respective units to the editorial team.

3. Centennial celebration of ‘1917 Socialist Revolution’ and ‘150 years of ‘Das Capital’.

The committee on celebrations of 100 years of the 1917 Socialist Revolution and 150 years of The Capital’ discussed in detail various proposals to highlight the significance of the first socialist revolution and the seminal work by Karl Marx, who has recently been declared as the Greatest Philosopher of the Millennium’.

It was decided that:

1. All national units in collaboration with other progressive parties and groups will organise conferences, seminars and discussions on the two events from February to October 2017.
2. A two-day conference on October Socialist Revolution and The Capital will be organised in the federal capital on October 6 and 7.
3. Marxist intellectuals and scholars from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be invited to present papers on the subjects.
4. Comrade Farooq Tariq with the consultation of Minto sb will write a pamphlet on the historical background, the significance of the revolution, its impact on national liberation and anti-colonial movements.
5. A booklet on Supreme Court Verdict on AWP petition on Electoral Reforms and Election Commission’s Code of Conduct will also be published.
6. It was also decided tentatively that the Federal Executive Committee (FEC) meeting will be held at Karachi on March 4 and 5 subject to the approval of the President.
7. All documents will be completed before the FEC meeting.

Farman Ali
Information Secretary
AWP