At a public meeting at Jhar Dhand in Charsada district of North West Frontier Province on 13 July, over 200 gathered to hear the leaders of Labour Party Pakistan. Speakers lashed out at the growing trends of religious fundamentalism and told the gathering that the religion must be separated from the state. The speakers also criticized the performance of the Pakistan Peoples Party governments first 100 days in power.

Speaking on the occasion, Farooq Tariq, spokesperson Labour Party Pakistan said, “The policies announced during the first 100 days of the PPP led coalition have made the lives of the ordinary people miserable. The Awami National Party government in the province has failed to bring peace and has supported the attacks of American imperialism in the area”. He said that people are hungrier and more uncertain during this present set up. The price hike is uncontrollable and PPP government is implementing all the conditionalities of the International Monetary Funds, World Bank and World Trade Organization.

Farooq Tariq told this gathering, the fourth one in last two months in the district, that we will resist if an all out American attack started in the tribal areas of Pakistan. We must bring an alternative voice against the growing influence of religious fundamentalism and imperialism.

Several other speakers including Farooq Ahmad, Maqsood Mujahid, members National Executive Committee LPP, Farman Ali Khan secretary LPP NWFP, Muqarab Khan secretary LPP Charsad district. There were also representatives of trade unions and peasant organization of the district at the meeting who also spoke of class struggle to be the only answer to the politcs of the rich.

This is an area where Asfand Yar Wali Kahn head of Awami National Party is elected to parliament. He had lost this traditional seat of nationalists earlier in the elections of 2002 to a religious fundamentalist. However, there is growing discontent about the inabilities of the nationalists to bring peace and end poverty in the province. it is widely criticized for its associations with American imperialism.

By organizing these public meetings, LPP is in a process of replacing the religious fundamentalists as an opposition voice. Almost all the Left activists have joined LPP in the area. After this public meeting, 400 membership forms were distributed and the local LPP activists were sure that they would achieve this target of membership within a month.

The membership target of LPP in 8 district of NWPF is set at 2000 till the end of August. At present, there are less than 500 memberships. LPP is making inroads at a fast speed among the former Left activists, peasant movement activists and youth.

An important aspect of LPP growth in the province is an emergence of Women Workers Help Line as an effective voice of women in the province. WWHL has mobilized hundreds of women in the district dominated by religious fundamentalism. The women have demonstrated on 8 March and 1^st May 2008, an unprecedented activity by women on these dates. The women are also becoming members of LPP in growing numbers.

The leadership of LPP in the district is arranging in establishing LPP in all the district of NWFP.