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Th Labour Relief Campaign was created in the wake of the floods that devastated Pakistan in August 2010. It brings together 8 organizations: Labour Party Pakistan (LPP), Labour Education Foundation (LEF), Center for the cancellation of the third world debt (CADTM), Women worker's helpline (WWHL), Progressive youth front (PYF), National trade union federation (NTUF), Kissan Raabta Committee (KRC), Pakistanis for Palestine (PaksForPal). Our campaign has two separate fronts, the relief work and a political campaign for the cancellation of Pakistan's debt in favor of the flood victims

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Rural women of Pakistan mobilize against the debt

Press Release

Cancel all foreign debts of Pakistan now! Rural women of Pakistan join hands with civil society on the issue in Islamabad
ISLAMABAD (16th October 2010): “There is a visible relation between international debt politics and of IFIs and increasing poverty in Pakistan. Therefore, members of Pakistan’s civil society want all foreign debts of Pakistan, owed to bilateral and multilateral creditors to be canceled, besides an immediate freeze on foreign debt repayments. The lenders shall extend Pakistan grants in this need of the hour, rather than loans, which are essential for Pakistan to develop the means to withstand such disasters in future. Pakistan continuously goes deeper in the financial crises if the debt is not dropped it will do more damage than floods. The saved money shall only be used for rehabilitation of flood affected communities and the much-ignored social sector for real and sustainable development”.  This was the theme of a protest by rural women protest, taken out in Islamabad on 16th Oct, Saturday, by Sungi Development Foundation.   
The protest was in connection with the Global anti-Debt Week and to observe the International Day of Action for cancellation of Pakistan’s foreign debts. A number of civil society organizations, activist groups, social and political activists, representatives of flood-hit communities and rural women who were celebrating the International Rural Women’s Day on Oct. 15 here in Islamabad took part in the protest. Rural women from all over Pakistan came and decided to participate in the anti-debt protest against IFIs.
The protest was held at 4:30 pm at Lok Virsa in Islamabad. The protest participants were holding banners and placards with slogans in favor of foreign debt cancellation. The marchers shouted full throat slogans against IMF, World Bank and ADB throughout the way. The anti-debt week did not only mobilize Pakistani citizens, some foreigners also supported the protest.
They demanded the lenders to extend Pakistan grants in this need of the hour after the summer floods, rather than loans, which are essential for Pakistan to develop the means to withstand such disasters in future.
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Aimal Khattak
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