Pakistan, May 1—This May Day, cities across Pakistan echoed with the thunder of marching feet, raised fists, and chants for justice. From Lahore’s historic streets to Quetta’s rugged terrain, thousands of workers, students, peasants, and public service employees poured into the streets. Their message was clear: the struggle for liberation continues.
Red flags soared as processions denounced deepening inequality, political repression, and the erosion of labor rights. Amid economic crisis, authoritarian rule, and rising fascism, International Workers’ Day became both a solemn remembrance and a call to revolutionary action.
Progressive Labor Party (PLP) played a pivotal leadership role, aligning with independent unions, dissident worker groups, and grassroots alliances. Chanting against unemployment, inflation, and imperialist interference, PLP members in Pakistan reaffirmed their commitment to communism and revolutionary change.
Workers anger at capitalism reverberates through the streets
Speeches across cities captured the shared anger—and hope—of an awakened working class. A textile worker in Faisalabad declared: “The mills run on our blood and sweat—but we remain disposable. Today, we say: no more. We demand dignity, protection, and power!”
A PL’er said: “Fascism is rising. The ruling class fan the flames of division—sectarianism, nationalism, misogyny—to keep us weak. But today, we marched as one class. We will not be silenced.”
In Karachi, gig workers, home-based women workers, students, clerks, trade unionists, and app-based drivers rallied against liberal imperialist exploitation: “We are treated like data points, not human beings. The system is rigged for profit—not people. We’re here to change that.”
From Sindh’s cotton fields to Sialkot’s factories, workers are trapped in a system that thrives on insecurity and weakens collective bargaining. “This is by design,” shouted a speaker in Islamabad. “Capitalism doesn’t fear elections—it fears worker unity.”
Traditional trade unions faced sharp criticism for compromising rather than confronting. State-aligned entities were accused of settling token deals while suppressing grassroots movements. “They negotiate crumbs while we starve,” said a union dissident in Lahore.
Identity politics is poison for the working class
Religious extremism and state-sponsored nationalism were also condemned for fragmenting the working class. Another PL’er exposed how elites weaponize identity—through issues like Kashmir and blasphemy—to divide and distract. “The coal miner in Baluchistan and the factory worker in Punjab fight the same system,” said a peasant leader in Sindh. “Our solidarity must rise above borders and national identities.”
Anti-imperialist slogans rang out. China’s CPEC projects and U.S. militarization were both condemned as faces of global capitalism. Speakers stressed that imperialism and class struggle are inseparable. “From Palestine to the Philippines, Sudan to Venezuela—we stand in global solidarity,” chanted students in Kashmir.
At the heart of May Day 2025 was PLP’s focus on political education, unity, and class consciousness. Study circles and campaigns are organizing landless peasants in Sindh, students in Kashmir, and gig workers in Lahore. “Revolution starts with clarity,” said a student organizer. “And clarity comes from study, struggle, and solidarity.”
As the processions ended with chants of “One world, one party, one fight: Workers of the World, Unite!” One thing was clear: Pakistan’s working class is rising—not just in resistance, but with revolutionary vision. “This is a historic moment,” that’s when a PL’er said. “Faced with imminent climate collapse and AI-driven exploitation, we stand at a crossroads. We either remain crushed—or we rise, united, to build a new world.”
The struggle continues. Long live the international revolutionary communist PLP!
