Apart from them, Akhtar Hussain Advocate was elected as Senior Vice President, Shehab Khattak and Abdullah Safi as Vice Presidents, Aasim Sajjad Akhtar as Deputy Secretary, Javed Akhtar as Secretary Organizational Affairs, Farzana Bari as Women Secretary, Hamza Virk as Secretary Education and Training, Kifayatullah as peasant secretary, Dilawar Abbas as Labor Secretary, Usman Gujjar as Youth and Student Affairs Secretary, Farman Ali as Information and Broadcasting Secretary, Zahid Pervez as Finance Secretary and Ismat Shahjahan as Culture Secretary.

The party also elected a 53-member federal committee, the party’s highest decision-making body.

In addition to the more than 500 delegates to the Congress, a large number of observers also attended. Apart from representatives of party sister organizations like Progressive Students Federation, Women Democratic Front, Pakistan Trade Union Federation, Pakistan Kisan Committee, the Congress also saw participation from representatives of leftwing, socialist and communist parties.

Among these leaders were Afzal Khamosh and Taimur Rehman, presidents of the two factions of the Mazdoor Kisan Party, Lal Dino of the Awami Democratic Party, and Dr Khalid of the Communist Party.

All the leaders present expressed solidarity, emphasized unity of the left and called for a joint struggle against feudalism, capitalism, patriarchy, and religious fanaticism in the country. They also expressed concern about imperialist wars in the region and beyond.

Baba Jan (left) (Gilgit-Baltistan), Nisar Shah (center right) and Umer Ikhlas (right) (JKAWP).

Earlier, Awami Workers Party President Yousuf Musti Khan in his address thanked the party delegates who expressed confidence in his leadership and re-elected him as President. He vowed to play a vital role in expanding the party in the face of new circumstances and difficulties and in spreading the party’s ideology and program to working people, and subjugated nationalities. In this regard, he said that the party would work hard with other like-minded, left and progressive forces to form an alternative socialist society to end the outdated present system and imperialist domination.

He condemned state oppression and violence on the oppressed classes, women, minorities, and the oppressed nations, especially the Baloch, Pakhtuns, Seraikis, Sindhis, and people of Gilgit-Baltistan and the seizure of their resources by capitalists and institutions. He strongly criticized the government and demanded that the atrocities be stopped immediately. “This country has been under the control of the colonial slave bureaucracy and international financial institutions for 74 years and we strive to get rid of that slavery,” he said.

The newly elected General Secretary of the party, Bakhshal Thalho said that the Awami Workers Party and other left and progressive organizations and movements had proved that the socialist movement is not over. He said that Awami Workers Party is the only party which highlights the real issues of the people, including elimination of unemployment and inflation, environmental preservation, and national and gender inequality. “We pledge to work with other progressive forces to come up with an alternative socialist economic, social and political solution and to strive for it,” he said.

Addressing the Congress, Akhtar Hussain, the party’s newly elected senior vice president, criticized conspiracies to usurp the rights of national units and roll back the 18^th Amendment.

He said that Awami Workers Party considers Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir as two disputed regions, therefore in these two regions they should be given full internal autonomy as per the wishes of the people there so that they can run their own internal affairs.

Talking about the current situation in the country, he said that the tense situation that has been created in the country for many days is not related to the problems of the people and the workers but a power struggle between different factions of the elite class.

Other speakers at the Congress included AWP Balochistan President Yousuf Kakar, Pakhtunkhwa President Haider Zaman, Punjab President Ammar Rashid, Gilgit-Baltistan President Baba Jan, Seraiki Wasaib President Farhat Abbas, Sindh Vice President Zia Bhatti, Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Awami Workers Party Nisar Shah and AWP UK Party leaders Dr Tohid and Muhammad.

Apart from them, Tooba Syed of Women Democratic Front, Jai Kumar of Progressive Students Federation and Nusrat Bashir of Pakistan Trade Union Federation also addressed the gathering.

The open session of the Congress also featured cultural programs, revolutionary anthems and theater, and at the end the participants staged a rally from the Congress venue to the Lahore Press Club.