Mass movement grows against Bhutto

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Only the frail loyalty of the Pakistan army now Keeps Prime Minister Bhutto in power.

Against the growing wave ol opposition to his regime Bhutto has declared martial law in the major cities, banned all press reporting of opposition activities or statements, arrested all the opposition leaders, and prepared himselt for a seige.

This follows massive daily street demonstrations which army and police guns have attacked, causing the loss of over 250 lives in the six weeks since Bhutto's victory in the rigged elections.

The opposition has also called successful one-day general strikes and launched a campaign of civil disobedience which includes the non-payment of taxes.

OFFERS

This is despite Bhutto's offers to re-run the provincial elections and, if the opposition gains a majority, to dissolve parliament and hold a new general election.

He has also responded to the opposition Pakistan National Alliance's Islamic fundamentalism by banning alcohol and gambling.

But this has not quelled the demands for his resignation:

The PNA opposition is led by extreme right wing Islamic forces.

Their main platform includes calls for compulsory Arabic lessons, no votes for women and amputation for persistent thieves.

But increasingly the working class has been joining the urban petty bourgeoisie and unemployed on the demonstrations, not because they support the PNA programme but through total disillusionment with Bhutto.

CRUSHED

Workers remember how in the name : of "socialism" Bhutto crushed the mass movement of factory occupations which helped bring him to power in 1971, going on to trample on the democratic rights of workers and institute a regime of inflation and rising unemployment.

Working class support for the anti-Bhutto campaign must create fears among the reactionary leaders of the opposition that the movement might get out of control.

This is why they are pleading desperately for the army to oust Bhutto.

The army however seems hesitant before taking power because of its memories of the disasters of its previous period of rule from 1958 to 1971.

CONTROL

Bhutto is not totally isolated: he nominally controls in the cities an armed political militia which is part of his Pakistan People's Party.

And he has traditionally had support in the rural areas where the vast majority of the population still live, especially from the Zamindars, the rich peasants.

The present movement is still almost entirely confined to the big cities.

The political situation now seems to contain many of the ingredients of a civil war or a military coup.

The working class and poor Bhutto for the building of an independent political leadership to unite workers and poor peasants on a socialist This is the only real alternative to the present "choice" between stark Islamic reaction or Bhutto's repressive anti-working class policies which masquerade as "socialism"

About 1,000 fascists from the National Front with the full protection of the police horses, cordons, vans and other paraphanalia, were allowed to march through the North London borough of Haringay on Saturday 23 April.

In preparation for their campaign in the forthcoming GLC elections on 5 May, the NF decided to bring people from every part of the country provoke the immigrants of this area who_are mostly from Cyprus and the West Indies.

About 2,000 counter-demonstrators assembled in "Duchett's Common' small open space in front of the tube station at Turnpike Lane.

The turn out included a large proportion of North London Labour Parties, some trade unionists and atew Stalinists, together with IMG contingents.

Immediately next to this, behind a large cordon of police, the fascists assembled.

Meanwhile, around the corner on the High Street, about 500 other anti-fascists assembled at the beginning of where the fascists were likely to march. This was the only

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peasantry can only lose from this situation until the fight is taken up