The protest camp outside and the occupation by 150-250 workers inside continues. Those inside are in high spirits. Intl Socialist comrades talked to one of the occupation leaders Ubaid and he said those inside are determined to continue struggle until all 4 sacked union activists are reinstated. However the occupation is having its effects on the striking workers, some have fell ill and others are exhausted. But they continue to hold their ground and are not leaving the basement. Today 4 of these who had ventured out were stopped by security from re-entering the hotel and they were asked to sign a letter stating they will resign if they do not do work after entering the hotel. They all refused.

Today i talked to some workers inside PC hotel who are not part of the strike. These are over 350 contractual employees hired from one Maha Enterprises by PC management. Maha Enterprise is owned by one Aslam Siddiqui. These contractual workers do all types of jobs, they work in Engineering, House Keeping, Banquet and others similar to the permanent striking workers. Contractual workers were hired in 2001 by the PC management when it sacked over 300 permanent workers including the union officials who continue to struggle in these last 9 years. The contractual employees are illegally forced to sign a blank page that is used as their resignation letter by the Maha Enterprise on very minor issues. For example, one worker told IS comrades that if the contract employees are seen talking to a union activist then he either dismissed or is severely reprimanded. However despite this intimidating atmosphere a large number of contractual workers have recently joined the PC Workers Union.

The PC management continues to use illegal, threatening measures against the employees. When on Feb 24 the strike started one of the former Presidents of PC Workers Union, Arif, managed to join the occupying 250 workers. Arif’s entry had a huge uplifting effect for the occupiers, now they had an experienced comrade. However the management spotted Arif and asked Security Officer Nasir to remove Arif, Nasir refused and tendered resignation and has left PC. Similiarly when the occupation began the union invited the contractual workers in protest outside PC many joined. Next, of the security men filmed the protestors and soon one of the contractual workers was called for explanation and PC managment asked Maha Enterprise to sack him and he was. This was done to create example for other contractual workers. Some contractual workers say that they are waiting for the union to prove its strength and if they managed to get the 4 reinstated then they will come out again.

Therefore for the struggle to enforce an effective strike the contract workers have to join the permanent unionized workers.

It is clear that despite the occupation and strike by PC Workers Union permanent workers the PC hotel continues to function without any interruption thanks to the owner Hashwanis and Maha Enterprise breaking yet another law ie the right for temporary workers to become permanent after 6 months of service by continuing to have them as scabs for the past 9 years!

The struggle of PC workers is critical to the working class confidence. The media boycott continues though some channels like right-wing Haq and moderate Hum and Radio FM103 have interviewed the union leaders in the past 2 days.

Somehow the struggle for PC workers continues to involve a tiny fraction of other section of working class. The PC Workers Solidarity Committee exists but continues to have its meeting without involving those outside their own loop. One such meeting is taking place on Wednessday, where and what time we will let you know soon.

Meanwhile if you are in Karachi just stop by at the camp outside and express your solidarity or donate whatever you can to help the strikers. Also sign the petition prepared by Adaner, Abira, Madiha and others which is here http://www.petitiononline.com/5tgb7ujm/petition.html

For details of the strike you may visit the Intl Socialists Pakistan website www.worldtowinpk.net and for a detailed analysis of the impact of PC and other working class struggles read the recent issue of Intl Socialists monthly Socialist (Urdu) here http://tinyurl.com/ydyf2ob

A year after Pakistan’s independence on 11 September 1948, our “Great Leader, our Quaid-e-Azam died. A dark, dark day in the history of this nation.

Maybe if he had lived a few years more, Pakistan might now have been in a state it is today. Allah knows best.

I would however try to bring to light various incidents, as narrated by people close-by the Quaid-e-Azam.

• The Cabinet Meeting was to be held – the ADC inquires, “Sir what will be served in the meeting…Tea or Coffee?”
Sir looked up and replied sternly…the ADC was taken aback! “Whichever of the Ministers wish to have tea or coffee should drink it before leaving his home or when he returns home. The Nation’s money is for the Nation and not or the Ministers!”

After this instruction – as long as he was the Head of the nation …nothing except water was ever served in the Cabinet meetings.

• Some items amounting to Rs.38.50 paisa had been purchased for the Governor General’s House. He asked for the bill; a few items were purchased on Mohtarima Fatima Jinnah’s request; he gave instructions that the amount was to be deducted from her account. A couple of items were for his own personal use…their amount to be deducted from his personal account. The remaining items for the Governor House, he said, may be charged to the Government. Instructions were issued to check and make sure what may be charged to the government in the future.

• When the brother of the British Emperor – Duke of Gloucester was going to visit Pakistan – the British envoy requested that he receive him at the Airport. He replied, if I do so then the British head of state (King) would have to reciprocate when my brother would visit London”.

• Once the ADC placed a Visiting Card before him…he took it and tearing it said, “Tell him not to come here before me, in future!” the card was his brother’s and his fault..? Printed under the brother’s name was…Brother of Mohammed Ali Jinnah Governor General Pakistan.

• During the severe winter of Ziarat, Col. Ilahi Bukhsh offered him a pair of socks. He liked them but inquired about the price. On learning that the price was Rs.2/-, he said the price was high. Col Ilahi Bukhsh replied that “the socks had been purchased from your account” to which the answer was that “even my account is a National trust…the Head of a poor country should not be so extravagant!” With that he rewrapped the socks and returned them to the Colonel.

• He was impressed with the work of a particular Nurse in Ziarat and asked if he could do something for her. She said that she was from Punjab and all her family were there, she was alone in Quetta if he could have her transferred to Punjab.

He answered rather regretfully, “I am sorry…this is in the hands of the Health Ministry and not the Governor General’s jurisdiction.”

• He ordered a writing table to be installed in his plane…when the File reached the Finance Ministry; the finance minister sanctioned it but sent a written note stating, “The Governor General must ask the Finance Ministry before issuing any such Order”. He gave a written apology and withdrew his previous order.

• There is the incident of the Railway track barrier/gates which is well known. When Gul Hasan (his ADC, later C-in-C Pakistan Army) requested the railway track gates to be opened so that his car may pass over unhindered, his face turned red in anger and he ordered the gates to be shut saying, “If I do not obey rules – who else will!”

This was the Pakistan of 62 years ago when Mohammed Ali Jinnah was our Head of State. We have evolved and arrived at this Pakistan of today. Today, railway track barriers/gates (Phatak) aside – all traffic signals of the city are switched off- both sides of the main roads are closed to traffic for an hour before the royal entourage goes by and the Head of State may announce a 5 crore donation or funding without a sanction of the Finance Ministry and even after a refusal for a sanction from the finance ministry, aeroplanes purchased and on orders from the President and Prime Minister, scores of people are transferred – as many people’s jobs are terminated and without merit…by bending of rules and regulations as many personnel given promotion.

What to mention socks…even the kids pampers are charged to the National treasury which has brought the expenditure of the President House to 18 and ½ and the Prime ministers budget to 20 Crores. Here nephews, sisters, brother in laws hold sway over the portals of power…where Secretaries receive phone calls from, “I am the brother in law of the Sahib.”

It is a Pakistan in which the full government is present at the airport to receive the vice-president of the United States of America. In the Cabinet meetings, besides tea, coffee full lunches and dinners are served. The kitchens of the President and prime Minister turn crores of
rupees into smoke annually! This is the advanced Pakistan where 16 crore poor people are trying to survive!

When the Quaid e Azam left the Governor House on duty there was one police car with a single Inspector of police who also happened to be a non-muslim – at the time when Gandhi had been killed and Quaid e Azam’s life was in danger too – in spite of that the Quaid e Azam went for his evening walk, enjoyed the fresh air without security…but today the Heads of State do not travel even ten kilometres without modern bullet proof cars, expert security guards and well trained Commandos –

We have failed to instil equality in our country, we have been unable to establish a dynamic morally upright nation…have not even made it a peaceful secure modern tate!

We the 17 crore poor of Pakistan desire the moral integrity of the Pakistan of 62 years back…Relieve us of this kind of progress, prosperity and prestige and restore to us the venerable Pakistan of the Quaid e Azam…the Pakistan of 1948.

Compared to 2008, Karachi has becoming cheaper relative to other cities. A close second is Tehran followed by Mumbai and Delhi respectively.

The Worldwide Cost of Living survey compares the cost of living in 140 cities worldwide. In each city field researchers gather and return a range of prices for over 160 items, from a loaf of bread to a luxury car. A cost-of-living index is calculated from the weighted average price data to express the difference between any two cities. The data quoted here uses New York as a base index of 100 for comparisons.