A WIN Discussion, June 2023
A WIN discussion June 2023. Pakistan is in the grip of its deepest ever political and economic crisis. Carved by British imperialism out of India on artificial communal lines, within little more than two decades it had split into two separate fragments, and its remaining provinces have been torn ever since by constant internal division. It has suffered a succession of wars and is run on a permanent military footing, ruled by a succession of weak submissive civilian governments alternating with outright military dictatorship. Yet again a civilian government has been overthrown by a military coup. On top of rampant corruption, communal agitation and political deadlock, its economy today is racked with a rapidly depreciating currency, soaring foreign debt with a growing risk of default, rocketing prices of food, gas and oil, with overall inflation touching 38%, and a critical foreign exchange crisis. As if these problems were not enough, the country has been devastated by floods. And yet the voice of the working class has never been silenced. To offer a sharp insight into the situation, were proud to welcome Hameed Khan, leader of the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign, and former president of the Baluchistan Workers’ Alliance.
Image – Pakistan floods: thousands of houses destroyed, roads are submerged” by Oxfam International is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/….