Religious fundamentalists kidnapped and wounded Shah Khalid, younger brother of an LPP leader of NWFP in Arkot village, Matta Tehsil in Swat area. The incident happened at midnight between 7 and 8 April. The religious fundamentalists group came in police uniform at the house of one LPP leader Zahid Hussain, member provincial committee of LPP in North West Frontier Province.

When they found Zahid not at home, they took Shah Khalid, his younger brother with them. All of them, seven of them were carrying sophisticated weapons including machine guns. After the incident, the community with their rifles followed them but the kidnappers disappeared.

After some time, some one called that Shah Khalid is at Nazar Abbas village, five kilometers away from the kidnapping scene. Twice bullets fired by the gang had hit him. They left him as dead. However, fortunately, he was able to contact the family after they left. Shah Khalid is now been hospitalized at Saido Sharif town in Swat in serious condition. Today’s newspapers on 9 April, in NWFP carried all the details of the kidnapping and attack on the comrade.

The local Police have registered the first investigation report (FIR) against unknown kidnappers.

Zahid Hussain comes from the same area and town where comrade Qureshi, another member of LPP provincial committee, had been killed in December 2007 in a suicidal attack. Zahid is a known Left wing activists and had organized several meetings of LPP in the area with red flags flying. That includes a May Day rally in 2007 and a June 2007 public meeting where general secretary labour Party Pakistan Nisar Ahmad Shah spoke. Over 350 attended this largest left meeting of the area.

The religious fundamentalists are now after our comrades in the area and they want to kill them all. An emergency meeting at Murdan LPP office attended by senior comrades of the area under chair of comrade Farooq Ahmad, condemned the attack and demanded by the newly established government of Awami National Party to take a serious notice of this incident. They demanded that police should find the culprits and arrest the responsible persons. The meeting vowed to fight back by strengthening the LPP in the province. “Red flag will despite all the bullets and kidnapping” comrade Farooq Ahmad told the meeting.

LPP general secretary Nisar Ahmad Shah has asked the party to take serious note of this incident and organize nationwide protest meetings against the kidnapping and attempt of murder on Shah Khalid.

Report by: Farooq Tariq

spokesperson

Labour Party Pakistan

40-Abbot Road Lahore, Pakistan

Tel: 92 42 6315162 Fax: 92 42 6271149 Mobile: 92 300 8411945

labour_party yahoo.com www.laborpakistan.org www.jeddojuhd.com