The organizational work of AWP started within two weeks of formation on 11^th November 2012. The interim organizational committees of AWP started visiting different districts of Pakistan and called joint meetings of the activists of the three parties that have merged to establish AWP.

It was agreed that the present membership of the three parties will seize to exist after the founding conference and all former members have to join the new party by filling in a registration form of AWP. The purpose of this practice was to bring a unity consciousness and to discourage trends on basis of old associations.

The first month of AWP has seen modest progress in terms of organizational committees. Following is a brief report to give you some idea how the progress is developing.

Interim provincial set up have been establish in Sindh, Punjab and Khaiber Pukhtoon Khawa. The preparations to organize AWP in Saraiki Waseeb and Baluchistan are in progress. Usman Baluch and Dr Bukhshal Thallo are elected as president and general secretary of AWP Sindh.

Usman Baluch is a veteran trade union leader who led the Karachi working class during the seventies and Bukhshal Thallo is a former president of Veterinary Doctors Association.

Shahab Khatak and Kafait Ullah Khan have been elected as president and general secretary of AWP Khaiber Pukhtoonkhawa. Shahab Khatak is a known left wing activist from Peshawar and Kafait Ullah is former president of Democratic Students Federation.

Ayub Malik and Assim Sajjad Akhtar are elected as president and general secretary of AWP Punjab. Ayub Malik is a former navy commander who left the institution for left wing politics and Assim Sajad Akhtar has played an important part in developing the Okara peasant movement.

In Sindh, organizational committees (OC) of AWP have been set up in seven districts including Karachi, Hyderababad, Thatha, Sanghar, Noshero feroze, Dadu and Larkana. While visits has been made to another seven districts and the OC are been establish within this month, they are Sakhar, Khotki, Mir Pur Khas, Tan do Allah Yar, Umer Kot, Nawab Shah and Badin. There will be a mass rally on 26^th January in Hyderabad by AWP Sindh on various demands facing the Sindh masses.

In Khaiber Pukhtoon Khawa, AWP organizing committees have been set up in eight districts and work in six other districts and areas are in progress to organize the AWP. There are office bearers elected in the following districts, Peshawar, Boner, Swat, Shangla, Malakand Agency, Noshehra, Mardan and Charsada. The work in Sawabi, Fata, Kohat, Kark, Bannu and Dera ismaeel Khan. A public meeting at Matta in Swat on 30 December 2012 will witness the announcement of the representatives of eight large village to join AWP in presence of hundreds of activists and supporters.

In Punjab, organizational committees have been established in 11 districts and they are Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Lahore, Faisalabad, Gojranwala, Toba Tek Singh, Mianwali, Chakwal, Hafiz Abad, Pakpattan, Sahiwal and Qasur. There will be organizations of AWP in the following district during the month of January 2013, and they are Gujrat, Okara, Sheikhupura, Mandi Bahuldin, Jhang, Chiniot, Sarghoda, Khushab abd Attack. A major rally is been planned for March 2013 in Lahore.

In Saraiki Waseeb area, AWP work has been started in several districts. In January, the interim set up of AWP would be established in this area. Visits of the AWP leadership are going on in several districts.

In Baluchistan membership forms have been distributed in several districts and we are sure to establish AWP on province level during the month of February.

In Gilgit Beltistan, membership drive is going on in several areas. A draft transitional programme for Gilgit Beltistan is been written and discussed at present. The main force behind this campaign is Baba Jan, vice president of AWP who is a known figure of the valley because of his sacrifices and struggle for the rights of the people.

The membership drive will continue till 28^th February 2013. On the basis of this membership, a delegate conference will be organized on 30^th April and 1^st May 2013 at Islamabad.

A special finance appeal has been launched and we have raised over 1.2 million Rupees. The target is five million Rupees till 31^st January 2013.

One federal committee meeting and two federal executive committee meetings have taken place during the last one and half month. A federal secretariat is been established in Lahore with full time staff.

A special attention is been given to women work by AWP and it was decided to hold AWP women conventions in several areas till the convening of first congress of AWP. A team led by Dr. Farzana Bari is working on this issue.

We hope that the initiatives taken by AWP leadership in the interim period of six months will lay down a strong basis for a future mass Left wing party that would be able to present an alternative policies based on Socialism to the politics of the feudal and capitalist class.

The establishment of AWP has received good positive responses from the media, trade unions, peasant movements, minorities, women and human rights groups. There have been several articles written in main stream media to welcome this initiative.

Report by:

Farooq Tariq
general secretary Awami Workers Party