23 August 2010

Dear all,

Today, our South Asian friends from Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh arrived at Labour Relief Camp Regal Chouk, Mall Road Lahore. They were warmly received by the activists of Labour relief Campaign. A lot of media was waiting for them at the camp site. The delegation included Sharmila Kerki president NGO Federation Nepal, Sita Kumari Pondel member parliament Nepal and a leader of Communist Party of Nepal UML, Faisal Bin Majeed, a human rights activist and South Asia Alliance For Poverty Erdadication (SAAPE) member in Bangladesh and Nalini Ratnarajah a peace actvist from Srio Lanka. The group went to appeal to lahorites to donate as much as possible for the flood victims. They were warmly responded by many passer byes and they stopped to donate money in the boxes they were carrying.

Speaking to GEO television and several other private television channals, Sita Kumari Pondel said the flood in pakistan is a South Asian issue and not just of Pakistan. People in Nepal are very much worried about the great economic and human loss of Pakistan. She said that I will do my best back home to raise the issue further on many platforms. She said that I have come here to show solidarity with the flood affected people of Pakistan. Faisal Bin Majid said that Pakistan can benifit from the experts of Bangladesh who are very often dealing the question of floods. I will raise in Bangladesh and will try to bring together somje of those. People of Bangladesh are with pakistani masses who are facing crisis after crisis. We are here to tell the world that Pakistan is not alone and we are here to show that South Asia is with Pakistan.

The delegation has come to Pakistan to attend a regional meeting of the gender group of SAAPE on the invitation of Women Workers Help Line.

Over 13000 Rupees was collected in half an hour of their arrival at the camp. After the Indians were in the same place at the camp, the arrival of other South Asian friends have generated a lot of interest by the media to cover the story. There were dozens of media person at the camp on a short notice which was sent to them this afternoon. A real South Asain unity was seen this afternoon in Lahore where hundreds wereamazed to see the South Asian collecting funds for flood victims.

The Labour relief Campaign has collected over 1,400,000 Rupees in total and is sending the amount to Khaber Pukhtoon Khawa and baluchsitan to the flood affested areas through local committees.

Farooq Tariq

19 August 2010

Labour Relief Campaign update

Several camps have been set up in different parts of Pakistan by member organizations of Labour Relief Campaign. They are now collecting funds in Karachi, Moro, Layya, Rawalpindi, Sibbi, Lahore, Murdan and Hyderabad. From Lahore, the LRC has sent Rupees 220,000 to Sibbi in Baluchsitan and 110,000 to Pir Sabaq in Noshera. Here, committees of local affectees and members of LRC are organizing the relief efforts.

We have collected in Lahore and through donations directly to the bank account, an amount of 433,000 and we are busy in sending the rest to the areas mentioned above. 8 members committee meeting of LRC decided to stick to few areas where we have local people to help in relief goods distribution. The LRC will concentrate on Layya, Rajan Pur, Sibbi and Noshehra and Charsada. While, the Sindh Labour Relief Committee will help in different parts of Sindh.

The LRC committee decided to hold a multi parties conference to discuss the negligence of the government in providing timely warnings and support to the flood affected areas. It also decided to speed up the campaign for the cancelation of Pakistan debt.

The LRC paid special thanks to 10 Indian social activists who brought 25400 Indian Rupees donation and helped to raise funds in Regal Chouck Lahore.

The LRC comprised of 8 organization including Women Workers Help Line, Labour Education Foundation, Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee, CATDM Pakistan, Progressive Youth Front, Labour Party Pakistan, National Trade Union Federation and Pakistan For Palestine.

Farooq Tariq

14 August 2010

Indian Peace Activists to collect funds in Lahore

Dear all,

20 Indian peace activists crossing Wahga border tomorrow on Sunday will go directly to Regal Chouck Lahore to collect funds from Pakistanies for flood victims. They will be at Labour Flood Relief Camp at 2pm.

The Peace Carvan coming to Pakistan tomorrow had statrted their peace march from Mombai as part of “Amn Key Barteh Qadam” a peace inititive by social activists from both sides. Pakistan Peace Carvan started from Karachi, however was abondened because of the flood worsenting situation. Some of them were able to come to Lahore and crossed Wahga border on 13^th August to go to Amritsar. Among them was Tehseen from South Asia Partnership and many more from the social movements.

Tomorrow on Sunday, the peace carvan from both side will come together at Wahgha border at 12pm and will be received by many. They will then proceed to Regal Chouck on Mall Road as a show of solidarity with the flood victims and will collect funds. They will alos meet the media person at the camp and speak about their initiative and will bring a message of solidarity from the Indian people to Pakistan flood affecties.

Please join us Sunday
_ Wahgha border 12pm
_ Labour Relief Camp Regal Chouck, 2pm
_ seminar at Hotel Ambassador Lahore 5pm

Farooq Tariq