Tehreek Insaaf is in fast forward mode to become the latest political party of the capitalist and feudal class. Originating in the middle class, it is en route to becoming the third largest party of the rich in Pakistan. - IV443 - December 2011 / Pakistan

Several supporters and members of Labour Party Pakistan are locked up in different jails of Pakistan. 9 textile workers including Fazal Ilahi a leading member of LPP are in Faisalabad jail. 15 activists are in Gilgit jail including Baba Jan, en elected member of LPP Federal Committee. They are not terrorists. They are political activists. However, all of them are charged with anti terrorist laws. - IV442 - November 2011 / Pakistan

As you all are aware, six labor leaders from Faisalabad have been handed jail sentences of 490 years in total. Their only crime was to lead a peaceful strike for an increase in minimum wages as announced by the government. They are Akbar Ali Kamboh, Babar Shafiq Randhawa, Fazal Elahi, Rana Riaz Ahmed Muhammad Aslam Malik and Asghar Ali Ansari. Four of them were arrested in July 2010 while the other two were arrested in July 2011 on the same charges. - IV442 - November 2011 / Pakistan

On November 1, a protest demonstration and rally was held in Lahore by Labour Party Pakistan to denounce the 490 years of total jail sentences to the 6 labour leaders of Faisalabad. On average, every one of the six will be spending 81 years in jail. An anti-terrorist court judge announced last evening this long term sentences to the six power-loom workers' leaders who led a strike in July 2010 in Faisalabad to demand better wages. The judge has announced the jail sentences for each of seven charges. The maximum sentence in one case is ten years. All the jail sentences will begin at the same time, so each one of the labour leaders will spend at least 10 years in jail. - IV442 - November 2011 / Greece, Trade unions

At the Federal executive committee meeting of Labour Party Pakistan held on October 30 in Lahore, Younas Rahu, general secretary Labour Party Sindh reported that 4000 rain affected families have been helped by the relief efforts by LPP. They belong to seven districts including Nawabshah, Sanghar, Dera Allah Yar, Badin, Mir Pur Khas, Thatha and Hyderabad. Over 50 percent of these 4000 belong to Hindu community of Sindh. LPP put up a special effort to reach to this community, which were normally left out by the Muslim religious parties working for relief in Sindh. Special efforts were also made to reach to peasant women in relief camps without any help. - News from around the world

Baba Jan, a federal committee member of the Labour Party Pakistan (LPP), has been taken from jail ... and the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) is torturing him on the name of “investigation”, fears the LPP. Baba Jan, surrendered himself to an”anti-terrorist court" in Gilgit Baltestan last week, had been on the run since July 2011, after police opened fire on a demonstration demanding compensation for those affected by the Atta Abad Lake floods last year, killing two. - IV440 - September 2011 / Ecology and the Environment, Pakistan

"I just spoke to Baba Jan, the most wanted political activist of Gilgit Baltestan these days." - IV439 - August 2011 / Pakistan

On August 5, 400 workers turned up to show solidarity with the protesting Pakistan Telecommunication workers at GPO Chouck Lahore. among them were over 200 women workers. National Trade Union Federation had announced a Dharna today on Mall Road to demand the reinstatement of the PTCL terminated workers. The Etsalat company who had bought PTCL in 2005 had terminated the services of 83 trade union leaders who had organised a national protest in 2010 to demand a wage increase. Instead of listening to workers, Etsalat suspended 600 workers and eventually reinstated most of them apart from the 83 main leaders of the PTCL trade unions. - News from around the world / Pakistan, Trade unions

The rally, organised by Labour Party Pakistan, was attended by over 2000 activists of different trade unions and Left organisation including most of the Left organisations in Lahore. The rally participants at Charing Cross started a sit in (Dharna) for over three hours. Labour leaders speaking at Chairing Cross in front of Punjab Assembly demanded a wage and pension increase of 100 percent in the forthcoming budget. They also demanded that a minimum wage of Rupees 15000 be fixed by the government for all government and non government workers for eight hours a day work. - IV436 - May 2011

In the first four days after Osama Bin Laden's assassination, the mass reaction in Pakistan is very mixed. In Punjab there is a general sympathy towards Osama, however not many are expressing it openly. In Sindh, the responses differ in different cities. For example, in Karachi there is more active commiseration for Osama and condemnation of the American attack - IV436 - May 2011 / Pakistan, War drive