Gang rape allegations in Pakistani IMT

[Q]

Ex-IMT member Heiko Khoo recently posted the following on the Leftist Trainspotters group:


A split over the usual issues in Pakistan (democratic centralism, the right to disagree etc.) brought very serious allegations to light. It is alleged (with detailed witness reports), that 3 members of the leadership of the IMT's Pakistani section, gang raped a female comrade at the Karachi Marxist school in December 2010.

Despite knowing the details of the allegation, the Pakistani leadership chose to conceal the issue, so did the international leadership.

Despite my personal animosity towards the leadership of the IMT, I am deeply shocked and sad that the IMT's international leadership refuse to even launch an enquiry into these allegations. I hope the left is capable of balancing serious, barbaric criminal offences, z c

Hopefully my revealing this here will force their hand.

Comradely

Heiko

To which another user inquired:


Heiko,

While this is terrible and so on, we would need more than your word to go
on. I hope you understand.

So are these documents available online?

To which Heiko gave a more expanded reply:


Sorry about the truncated nature of the last message, I was interrupted and cut off before I had finished checking it.

The allegation was made by Zaraf Imam and Xulfi Marxist who were quite prominent members of the Lal Khan group until recently. There is a statement on their political conflict on Karlmarx.net

The rape allegation is that three leading members of the IMT's Pakistani section were caught gang raping a female comrade at the Karachi Marxist School in December 2010 and that many people in the group know of this.

So far the IMT seem to have gone into silent mode, pretending it is some sort of plot between myself and these comrades. But these comrades were loyalists of the IMT and remain hostile to myself and to the Manzoor group. They hope in vain that the IMT leadership will intervene and do something.

Alan Woods and the leadership were sent detailed statements about the alleged offence on Wednesday and the basic allegations were made on FB a few weeks ago.

I do have a copy and have sent a copy to a list of IMT comrades, whose emails I have. It is an elementary duty of any decent people to act on such serious allegations, but it appears that the IMT leadership have taken no action at all.

I do hope the IMT leadership make a statement themselves about how they intend to deal with this. To date they have not informed their own members about it and seem to have gone into denial.

Comradely

Heiko

These are very serious allegations and if true bring the IMT leadership in a very problematic position. The days that everything could be wrapped up behind curtains are definitely over. This is 2012, the age of Twitter, Facebook and other forms of instant global communication.

Does anyone else have more info? Does the leadership have a reply yet? Surely such allegations cannot simply go unanswered.

[Die Neue Zeit]

Oh, the shock and horror of hearing more screams of "Gossip!" and "Rumour!" that would make "Gossip Sheet!" yells so civilized!

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

These are very serious allegations and if true bring the IMT leadership in a very problematic position. The days that everything could be wrapped up behind curtains are definitely over. This is 2012, the age of Twitter, Facebook and other forms of instant global communication.

Doesn't this statement sort of imply that the old partisan way of doing things, i.e pretending nothing ever happened to protect the status of the established cadres either directly responsible or indirectly involved somehow, was the right course of action before facebook and twitter were around?

[Q]

Doesn't this statement sort of imply that the old partisan way of doing things, i.e pretending nothing ever happened to protect the status of the established cadres either directly responsible or indirectly involved somehow, was the right course of action before facebook and twitter were around?

Are you fucking serious?

[Yehuda Stern]

While I have no love lost for the IMT (the ISL has written an article on our split from them - you can find it on our website), I haven't found any shred of evidence for any of this on karlmarx.net, or anywhere else for that matter. If anyone else did, please post it here, with links.

[Yehuda Stern]

And to be more blunt: at the moment, since none of the people making these allegations have shown anything close to evidence, I consider all these claims to be baseless slander. And the fact that Khoo's posts were made on Leftist Trainspotters does not help.

(The IMT is, of course, no stranger to baseless slander. It has used such methods against me and my comrades in the past. But that doesn't mean that revolutionaries should agree to it being used in the other direction.)

[Q]

And to be more blunt: at the moment, since none of the people making these allegations have shown anything close to evidence, I consider all these claims to be baseless slander. And the fact that Khoo's posts were made on Leftist Trainspotters does not help.

(The IMT is, of course, no stranger to baseless slander. It has used such methods against me and my comrades in the past. But that doesn't mean that revolutionaries should agree to it being used in the other direction.)

Agreed. And since the names of comrades are now publicly circulating, this needs to be cleared up. So, either from Heiko's or from the IMT side, there needs to be made some sort of statement.

The flip side from the OP is of course that if Heiko is wrong and was indeed spewing out baseless slander, he would no longer be taken seriously by anyone, including possibly his own "TANIT" grouping.

As someone else phrased it on the LT group:


Whatever the truth of this horrid affair the tendency concerned needs to do something about it very quickly. If for no other reason than the fact that the names of the people alleged to be rapists are now circulating.

As for Sebastians post it has to be discounted. The only testimony concerning zafar xulfi and haresh that has status has to come directly from them. As it is this is hearsay and ought not be reported.

I hope that comrades do not post further on this other than to report facts or developments in the case. This list exists to gossip in a certain sense but not about such topics. There is no worse allegation against a comrade than rape. And guilt is a one way street out of the movement.
And he makes the point quite well.

I'll keep this updated as the updates roll in.

[Sasha]

moved on OP's request to hidden trash

[KarlMarx.net]

This was sent to us by Zafar Imam and other comrades of the IMT in Pakistan.
.................

Gang Rape of a Female Comrade of IMT in Pakistan, Explusion of Comrades and Related Questions


In Pakistan section of IMT, recently there has emerged a crisis, which
is direct result of the wrong doings of Pakistani section's
leadership.

Comrades from Kashmir region, Islamabad and Hyderabad Region of Sindh
Province were expelled during the month of November, December 2011 and
January 2012, without any prior notice, warning or any chance of
clarification. After such bureaucratic decision, many comrades gave
resignations from their basic memberships or gone in-active in
organizational activities.
8 out of 11 CC members of JKNSF were expelled bureaucratically by Adam
Pal on a phone call. L.K and Adam Pal plotted the expulsion. The
militant and hardcore leadership of JKNSF working in the difficult
terrain of Kashmir were expelled because of the differences of
opinion! Is this Marxism or a religion? Is this science or blind
following of Adam Pal and L.K?

After the expulsion of comrades, including comrade Aadil (former JKNSF
president), Shoaib Sham (CC member JKNSF) the position of JKNSF went
very weak in Kashmir. The opposite nationalist group of JKNSF regained
the majority in JKNSF and IMT lost the JKNSF. These bureaucratic
policies of leadership have facilitated the fall of IMT in Pakistan
and accelerated the process of its destruction.

The same happened in Islamabad and Lahore too. Key comrades were
expelled from there too.
Comrade Xulfi Marxist, Zafar Imam and Rashid were expelled from
Hyderabad region of Sindh, and then comrade Haresh's expulsion
followed them. A whole area of Gulab Laghari comprising of four
branches dissolved itself in reaction to this decision, including the
fall of active branches from Hyderabad, Shahdadkot and Ratodero Branch
in Larkana.

These comrades were expelled because they used to ask questions
related to political line of Pakistani section, which is
unquestionably run by one man. These comrades had differences of
opinion on national question primarily, Enterism in PPP,
bureaucratization of organization by one man and many other
undemocratic decisions.

These comrades had another objection over section's top leadership's
role. Three of top leaders were involved in a gang rape of a female
comrade. Organization gave cover to this crime, and instead of
expelling the culprits, they were kept on leading positions. After
whole two years of repeatedly demanding the expulsion of rapists,
instead of punishing the culprits, those comrade were expelled who
demanded explanation of such crime. These were the same comrades who
have recently been expelled.

The leadership of Pakistani section is still in state of denial. Not
only this, but IMT's International leadership too has kept silent.
After repeated appeals for probe, comrades of International section
kept unfriending these comrades from Facebook.
Comrades have now concluded that neither of IMT's leadership is
serious to probe into the matter. It just looks at the matter as if it
never happened. They might be thinking of these comrades as 'some
stupid third world loosers'.

The expelled comrades are given life threats by CC members of IMT's
Pakistani section to 'shut their mouth' otherwise face the
consequences. Evidences of such threats can be produced on demand.
There was no other way left for these comrades, but to write each and
every thing in detail publicly. This became necessary to face the
character assassination tricks observed on these comrades by Pakistani
section leadership.
We are writing this account of the rape incident publicly because
IMT's leadership failed to contact comrades and showed inserious
attitude towards their grievances. Below is the account of gang rape
of female comrade.


Gang rape of female comrade in Karachi
Time: some where between 10.30 pm and 11.30 pm in night
Location of Crime: Karachi Hawks Bay
Related Event: National Winter Marxist School of IMT Pakistan Section
Date: 04 December, 2010

Gang Rapists:
1. PJ ( CC member of IMT Pakistan
section)
2. RL (CC member of IMT Pakistan section)
3. CK (CC Member of IMT Pakistan section)

Victim: Comrade 'F' from Karachi

At the night of 3 December 2010, National Winter School of Pakistani
section was held. At the night of 4 December 2012, just before the
dinner was served, three comrades belonging to national leadership in
Pakistani section got fully drunk and entered the room of female
comrades. There, they molested comrade 'F', belonging to Karachi.
During the gang rape, the incident was reported to top leader of the
section on phone by female companions of the victim, and the leader
called back to culprits to get off and run away. They followed the
orders.

At the night after incident and the other day that followed, the whole
leadership of the section was mobilized to apologize from the victim,
forgive and forget the incident. Moral tricks and psychological
pressures were used to calm her down the next day, because ‘the school
would get disturbed’. It was promised to her that strict and severe
action will be taken against the rapists, but she should be silent the
next day in the school.

However, despite such tricks and giving cover to culprits, next day at
morning, the incident echoed in the words of comrade Amjad Laakhair's
contribution. He, in his contribution in the school, condemned the
event and asked for the immediate action. But...........the leadership
kept silent. A criminal silence was maintained. Leadership is still
silent to this day.

Eye Witness: Xulfi Marxist, Female Comrade Ishrat

Evidences: Almost all participants of the school that night, but to
name a few: Comrade Xulfi Marxist, Comrade Tahir from KPK, Comrades
from K.N.Shah Branch, Comrade Razaq Laghari, Comrade Fahad Memon,
Comrade Ishrat, Comrade Amjad Laakhair.

Eye Witness Account by Xulfi Marxsit (as reported):

At the night of 4 December 2012, when I was passing by the female room
in the wing, where comrades stayed at night during Hawks Bay Winter
School in Karachi, I heard the sobbing voice of a woman. A slow
weeping sound of a woman was coming out of room. I hurried to inquire
what is wrong. I first knocked the door, no reply came. Then I opened
the door. I was astonished at the sight of what I saw. Down the bed at
mattress, was lying comrade 'F'. At one side of her was PJ,
fully drunk. On the Other Side of Her was RL. CK was
sitting nearby her. All the three men were fully drunk as I noticed it
from their movements. Comrade 'F' was weeping, she too was drunk. I
saw that P and RL were molesting her, and she was totally
handicapped by them. On the bed was comrade R, sitting and
weeping. When she saw me, she cried and yelled 'What the hell you
people are doing. I am just now calling L.K, these drunk bastards are
molesting her and giving us threats.

Comrade R also forced me to get out and get lost. She was angry,
weeping. I immediately returned back to report the thing to other
comrades nearby and do something.

Eye witness account by comrade Ishrat as reported:

Female comrades participating in Winter School in Karachi were given
separate room for living. My companions in the room were comrade
Raheela, Myself, comrade 'F' and some others. At the night of 4
December 2010, when we had yet not taken dinner, I was still in my bed
in the room. Comrades outside had drunk and were singing, dancing and
crying. During this hoopla, Comrade 'F' entered the room and lied on
mattress down the bed. She was heavily drunk. Immediately after her,
three men entered our room. I could see they were fully drunk and were
not able to talk properly. At first I thought that comrades might have
got some immediate work with us, that is why they have entered our
room unwelcome. But I quickly understood that there was something
wrong with them.

RL opened his arms and stretched them to comrade 'F', who was
lying totally dozed on mattress. He cried in zeal, "I love you 'F', I
love you" and suddenly broke into her bed over her. He was quickly
followed by the other two, who forcefully entered her bed. For me, it
was unbelievable. We resisted and shouted at them to get lost of our
room. But they could hardly listen to us. They kept on molesting
comrade F, who was unable to resist them by force because of her
condition, though she was abusing them to get off her body. I and my
other companion started to abuse them, shout at them and then kick
them to get away from F. This resulted in threat by PJ, who
asked us to keep silent otherwise he will beat us. This was
unbelievable and tormenting.

Before us, comrade F was weeping and abusing them to get away from
her, but neither she nor we were in position to get off with those
drunk monsters.
We started to cry and weep, totally feeling helpless. To whom could we
ask for help? We were frightened from all of the male comrades present
that night in the School. Because most of them were drunk, and who
knows how will they react? Will they too do the same with us? There
were enormous doubts. We were fearful. My companion comrade Raheela
called comrade L.K from her cell phone to report to him the incident
and help us. She could hardly talk to him.

Quickly after she talked on phone, the mobile phones started to ring
and one of the monsters talked on the phone. They then quickly got off
from 'F' and ran away out of our room.
After about half hour of the incident, almost every body in the School
came to know what had happened. Different comrades kept knocking our
door and expressing their grief with us regarding the incident. But to
be honest, we were really frightened. We could hardly sleep that
night.

Post-incident Remarks of some comrades:

Comrade Taahir from KPK: Comrade Tahir was present at the occasion
that night, who witnessed the whole thing. He was a newly recruited
comrade, who had come first time to attend the Marxist school. After
this gang rape incident, he was highly disappointed by IMT and left
the organization. Currently he lives in Kohat. Contact details of
Tahir can be provided on request.

Taahir: It was unbelievable for me to witness such crime committed by
those who preached for a just society. I couldn't believe that the
Marxists could do so? For days, the incident disturbed me mentally. I
could not get along with such organization, where the leadership was
raping its own comrades. At that night, after I knew about the
incident, I wanted to beat the rapists. But somebody told me that they
had escaped from the scene. I left the organization. I was totally
disappointed.

Comrade Ishrat: Comrade Ishrat was a female comrade, who was companion
of the victim that night. After coming back from school, she left the
organization immediately. To this day, she abuses the organization
because it did nothing to punish the rapists. Contact details of
comrade Ishrat can be given on request.

Ishrat: I had seen the rape with my own eyes and I couldn't help my
companion. This feeling of helplessness had torn me apart. From that
night, I can't figure out how those can do such a crime who advocate a
society of justice, peace and free from chains? I simply couldn't
believe my very own eyes that night. I hate those bastards. They were
monsters. I decided to leave this organization, where female comrades
are too much insecure. In fact, they are male chauvinists.

The Moral Trick

After the incident of rape came to surface, first time publicly on
Facebook, comrades were replied with threats of facing serious
'consequences'. One CC member, namely Anwar Panhwar, in branch meeting
of Shahdadkot, clearly gave death threat to comrade Haresh - the
expelled one. After that, such tricks continue to date.

One special trick that Pakistani section leadership of IMT did was:
Why didn't these comrades went public about the gang rape at that time
when the gang rape was committed? Why do they now openly 'allege' on
Facebook and break the discipline of organization? Isn't against the
'discipline' to 'allege' comrades and true 'Marxists' publicly? Why
did they not contact the organization before coming public?

Well, it is hypocrisy at its best in the first place. Why did not the
organization bothered about the rape incident for whole two years?
Why, we ask, did it not take action against the rapists even after
repeated demands of probe by different comrades at different times?
Why, in the first place, did it give cover to rapists and kept them on
the highest possible leading positions of the section till date?

And, what about this advice that the 'discipline' of the organization
should have been followed? To your knowledge, the matter was being
discussed within the organization for whole two years. Leadership
didn't bother to take an inch of step ahead against these culprits.
This moral trick of 'discipline' can not be imposed on the expelled
comrades, because they followed the discipline for whole two years and
kept trying to solve the matter - along with some other political
differences - within the organizational discipline. But when they were
kicked out of the organization, how could they keep silent? Which
discipline to follow?

Further, did the organization itself cared a little of 'discipline'?
From giving cover to rapists to expelling the comrades, it kept on
breaking its own discipline. Why should the expelled comrades now
respect the discipline of a dead skeleton, which has no meaning for
them now?
We now think that the time is over to appeal before IMT's
International leadership. It played the wait and see game for long. It
didn't intervene. It kept itself aloof, as if it was a supernatural
structure resting on the Mars, knowing nothing of the world near it!!

Even then, if IMT's International leadership is a bit serious about it
and wants to probe into the matter, we are ready to provide access to
all eye witnesses and evidences. But in our understanding, we think
that the time for IMT is over. A Marxist organization can not keep
itself aloof from the crimes of leadership of its section. If it does
so, it is accountable to history.
Long Live Socialist Revolution! Long Live the voice of truth

Comrades from Lahore Region
Comrades from Hyderabad Region
Comrades from Islamabad Region
Comrades from Kashmir Region

[Red Future]

I think the IMT (Pakistan) has to seriously undertake some self criticism here.This behaviour is not and never will be tolerated in a Revolutionary Group.

[Sasha]

In light of the new evidence I moved this thread out of the hidden trash and merged the two threads...

[Q]

Thank you for posting "karlMarx.net". I notice that the account has also been put online (http://www.karlmarx.net/topics/Pakistan/gangrapeofafemalecomradeofimtinpakistan). A truly sickening account for sure and the IMT leadership should be held accountable to this.

I don't quite follow from the account though: Is the collapse of the IMT section in Pakistan attributable to this incident? Or is it caused to other bureaucratic intervention that is not directly connected to this?

[TrotskistMarx]

You know many orthodox leftists marxists, think that all people who belong to Marxist parties, to marxist and leftist organizations are already by default pure, perfect, altruists, honests, and 100% good. Nothing could be further from the truth. All humans have the same body, the same minds and the same physical urges and temptations, like sex or wanting to force a girl into sex, wether they are marxists, leftists, centrists, fascists or independent non-political.

And like you said this very evil wrong behaviour is really a BIG BLOW to the world left, to the reputation of the left that has already suffered big knock outs and blows with the government of Stalin in Russia and other socialist experiments of the XX Century like Mugabe etc.

It is a must, it is very very necessary that the leaders of leftist political parties become pure, good, compassionate, loving, cooperative, honests, friendly, forgiving, loving with their families and even with friends who are capitalists and with opposite ideologies.

But like you said if this is true, this might destroy the movement International Marxist Tendency, the movement of Allan Woods and his followers, and even the reputation of the left around the world. Which is already a bit destroyed today with the failures of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to save Spain from economic crisis, and the socialist party of Greece, thanks

.


Ex-IMT member Heiko Khoo recently posted the following on the Leftist Trainspotters group:



To which another user inquired:



To which Heiko gave a more expanded reply:



These are very serious allegations and if true bring the IMT leadership in a very problematic position. The days that everything could be wrapped up behind curtains are definitely over. This is 2012, the age of Twitter, Facebook and other forms of instant global communication.

Does anyone else have more info? Does the leadership have a reply yet? Surely such allegations cannot simply go unanswered.

[TrotskistMarx]

Indeed I read articles on a regular basis from the marxist.com website. I hope that the leaders of IMT can clear that up and accuse before the authorities the perpetrators of that horrible crime. In our value system all women and all children must be protected at all costs and must be sacred creatures.


Ex-IMT member Heiko Khoo recently posted the following on the Leftist Trainspotters group:



To which another user inquired:



To which Heiko gave a more expanded reply:



These are very serious allegations and if true bring the IMT leadership in a very problematic position. The days that everything could be wrapped up behind curtains are definitely over. This is 2012, the age of Twitter, Facebook and other forms of instant global communication.

Does anyone else have more info? Does the leadership have a reply yet? Surely such allegations cannot simply go unanswered.

[TrotskistMarx]

Dear friends, Jesus Christ said, he who is free of sin, should throw the first rock. Indeed, what I mean is that we should have another kind of justice system world view, not based on punishing the criminal, but on reforming, forgiving and helping the criminal. Which is totally different from the barbaric justice system of USA and other capitalist governments of the world that have a revenge justice system and even death penalty. I think that the rapists who did this should be psychologically reformed and helped, instead of barbarically punished, because as you all know torturing criminals is anti-socialism and anti-scientific. Thanks

.

[Ostrinski]

Likely to be much easier to forgive if you or anyone you care about have never been afflicted in any fashion.

[Rusty Shackleford]

raping a comrade, or anyone for that matter, does call for some serious punishment. i almost want to say bullet punishment.


if this is all true then the leadership of the IMT do indeed need to look at how they handled this, very seriously and honestly, if they want to be in any way credible.

[Yehuda Stern]

Considering KarlMarx.net's post, it is now on the IMT to respond to these serious allegations. As far as I'm concerned, at this point, silence is tantamount to an admission of guilt.

[Astarte]

I have not been an IMT member for 10 years, but in the past I have met Heiko Khoo on one of his visits to the USA - he was known to be a huge donor of monies to the IMT and a comrade of reputable integrity. I know nothing of the facts, but it seems to me more likely that the Woods/Sewell ruling clique would launch a cover up than Heiko make up bullshit.

[Astarte]

Heiko Khoo is a megalomaniac, and ever since his expulsion a few years ago has sworn to slander the IMT, and bring it down. In many ways he is similar to the case of Atlee Yarrow and the SPUSA, after his expulsion.


I think you all are little megalomaniacs :)

http://www.whatnextjournal.co.uk/Pages/Back/Wnext27/Cults.html

[Q]

The allegations made by Heiko Khoo, and a clique of expelled members of the IMT are COMPLETELY false. This is part of a smear campaign by HK and some ex members to blackmail the Tendency to re-admit them (or else). I have reviewed all documents and testimony's by the witnesses and accused, and find little to no validity in them. Just as a few examples: The situation took place over 2 years ago, and has only been brought up since the expulsions. NO official legal action was taken at the time. The accusers refuse to allow anyone to question the "so-called" victim. The accusers said they would gladly sweep this under the table if they were re admitted, thus making them complaisant in the act if it indeed happen. No one actually witnessed a rape, but a room full of very drunk comrades with different degrees of clothing on, including the "so-called" victim.

Heiko Khoo is a megalomaniac, and ever since his expulsion a few years ago has sworn to slander the IMT, and bring it down. In many ways he is similar to the case of Atlee Yarrow and the SPUSA, after his expulsion.

The leadership of the IMT were and have been all over this since the allegations were made, and made several trips to Pakistan to see for themselves.

Hey troll. Put up or shut up. Such cover ups and character assassinations would have worked in the past, but no longer. The longer this kind of attitude is kept up, the deeper you'll sink and the bigger the hole will be you're digging.

[gorillafuck]

raping a comrade, or anyone for that matter, does call for some serious punishment. i almost want to say bullet punishment. considering the amount of rape in the world, if rapists all got a bullet then that would require a huge scale mass murder of rapists.

the IMT leadership can't explain this away and if they covered it up then I don't trust them to take care of it themselves

[PhoenixAsh]

The IMT is not covering anything up. This is a vindictive slander campaign. You have seen very little actual evidence, yet you judge. Like i said before, why was it covered up by the accusers for 2 years, and why was no legal authority notified. The bottom line is this is a situation in Pakistan.

ok. So where is the IMT leadership statement on the issue?

[Kassad]

ok. So where is the IMT leadership statement on the issue?

I might be wrong, but I don't believe this is the first case where allegations came against an IMT section or leader and there was literally no published response to it. Maybe someone can fill in the blanks here for me?

[Q]

ok. So where is the IMT leadership statement on the issue?

Don't expect anything forthcoming from them in a hope that it'll blow over. Cue the mindless robots throwing the mud in order to "defend" their organisation (I see leon T's posts more as hurting for the IMT, but hey).

So, in the mean time, spread the word far and wide, so the IMT will eventually be forced to stop ignoring it and take some sort of action.

The mere fact that they're acting in this manner is also very telling of course.

@leon T: You don't know me in the least. Calling me a "keyboard warrior" is just some more desperate mud that is thrown around and doesn't impress anyone.

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

I have reviewed all documents and testimony's by the witnesses and accused, and find little to no validity in them. Just as a few examples: The situation took place over 2 years ago, and has only been brought up since the expulsions. NO official legal action was taken at the time. The accusers refuse to allow anyone to question the "so-called" victim. The accusers said they would gladly sweep this under the table if they were re admitted, thus making them complaisant in the act if it indeed happen. No one actually witnessed a rape, but a room full of very drunk comrades with different degrees of clothing on, including the "so-called" victim.


Obviously rape is a sensitive issue and that any kind of accusations need to be investigated fully to make sure the accused are not being slandered. However, none of those things you list disprove the validity of the accusations at all.

It got brought up two years ago? Many rape cases come out years after the act. Rape accusations against the Catholic church took decades in some cases to come out. No legal action? Most real rapes go unreported to the police, out of fear that the police will not do anything, out of guilt or self-blame, or for any other number of tragic reasons. Again, not anything which makes the claims false. No other witnesses? Well, how many rapists go out and rape people in public where everyone can get a good look?

[A Marxist Historian]

Obviously rape is a sensitive issue and that any kind of accusations need to be investigated fully to make sure the accused are not being slandered. However, none of those things you list disprove the validity of the accusations at all.

It got brought up two years ago? Many rape cases come out years after the act. Rape accusations against the Catholic church took decades in some cases to come out. No legal action? Most real rapes go unreported to the police, out of fear that the police will not do anything, out of guilt or self-blame, or for any other number of tragic reasons. Again, not anything which makes the claims false. No other witnesses? Well, how many rapists go out and rape people in public where everyone can get a good look?

I don't want to get too deep into this with all the facts still not totally clear. Though at this point, the IMT is certainly acting as if they are guilty as charged!

I just want to point out that according to the denunciation, the IMT folk charging their leaders with covering up rape didn't go public about this for two years exactly because they wanted to give the IMT leaders time to realize that there was something very rotten in Denmark themselves, being loyal members of the organization, and they have only gone public out of despair.

That it seems to me adds to their credibility rather than detracting from it.

-M.H.-

[khad]

I'm just trying to get banned, RevLeft won't let me cancel my account.
Happy birthday. You're banned.

[Q]

Happy birthday. You're banned.

Thank you!

So, now that piece of shit has dropped off, let's return on topic here.

Does anyone know about any actual statement of the IMT yet regarding this?

As for KarlMarx.net: They've published a new piece on this (http://www.karlmarx.net/topics/Pakistan/whyitisnecessarytopublicizetherapeallegationsagain stleadingmembersoftheimtspakistanisection):


Why it is necessary to publicize the rape allegations against leading members of the IMT's Pakistani section
posted 22 Feb 2012 11:34 by heiko khoo
by Jonathan Clyne former member of the International Executive of the International Marxist Tendency.

The fundamental reason is because rape is a political question and should therefore be discussed openly.



The traditional view is that rape is not a political question. It has been seen as personal failure of the rapist or a misreading of signals in a game between adults or simply the inability of some men to control their supposedly naturally greater need for sex than women. All human behaviour is complex and there are always various tendencies at work, but that has never been a barrier to try and analyse the main (often underlying) tendencies at work, without pretending that there can't be other tendencies at work too. The same thing should be done with rape.



Looked at in that light, none of the above explanations for rape hold, whether rape is explained as a personal or a natural phenomena. Different societies show very different rape rates. The fact that a South African woman has a greater chance of being raped than learning to read and write has nothing to do with either “natural” or “personal” causes. Nor the facts that every sixth US woman has experienced rape or an attempted rape. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_statistics)



In a large survey, 35 percent of US male college students admitted that they would commit rape if they believed they could get away with it. Note, this was a question about their willingness to rape, that is a clearly stated illegal action, not a question about cases that they might defend on the grounds that it was not really rape. Another survey about more loosely defined sexual abuse showed that “43 percent of college-aged men admitted to using coercive behaviour to have sex, including ignoring a woman's protest, using physical aggression, and forcing intercourse.” (http://www.uic.edu/depts/owa/sa_rape_support.html)



All this indicates that rape is not a question of unfortunate isolated incidents, but is a broader problem and has social causes. A problem that has largely been buried.



The causes of rape are connected to the oppression of women, and more generally to the existence of hierarchical societies. Therefore rape must be treated as a political question. Concretely, that means, just like with all political questions, bringing things out into the public sphere for discussion. And working out ways for society to deal with it. Police intervention is an insignificant part of that. Rape is the most unreported crime, and of reported rapes only a tiny minority end in convictions. Factoring in unreported rapes, about 95 percent of US rapists will never spend a day in jail. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape)



Clearly other measures are necessary, and confining it to the police and personal (sympathy and help for the victim) spheres is completely inadequate. Bringing out details about rapes is a necessary part of the political process, just like publicizing details of life under capitalism is an important part of the political struggle of the working class generally. Even if it is considered in bad taste. (Recently the Swedish upper class was scandalized at the bad taste of some activists who organised a bus trip for a “safari” to the “ghetto of the rich” to show ordinary people how the rich lived. Apart from being reported to the police, they were pelted with eggs by a gang of upper class youths.)



Here are two excellent articles about the issue of rape in Pakistan - http://www.marxist.com/rape-women-pakistan.htm and http://www.marxist.com/rape-women-pakistan.htm. It is worth noting that in one of the articles the author comments: “The large number of cases goes unreported because any suggestion of sex is considered taboo in Pakistan”. We should not fall into the trap of not writing about rape because of the risk of being salacious.



Rape culture is not confined to countries like Pakistan. A 'rape culture' is defined as a culture where "sexual violence is both made to be invisible and inevitable" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_culture). Fighting rape culture therefore must involve making rape clearly visible.



Perhaps even more important than looking at the causes of rape is the need to look at the effects of rape. As such, it plays a role in maintaining both women's oppression and the general hierarchy of society. Like any act of violence or threat of violence, it is the ultimate means of maintaining a hierarchy of power. Therefore rape is often systematic and sanctioned from above in war.



In Pakistan, the use of rape as means to maintain power is not an underlying tendency, but openly stated and exercised in countless cases. It is not unusual for a village council to decide to use gang rape as a means of keeping women in their place. This is regardless of the law, and even when gang rape is prosecuted its chances of success are small (for an example see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13158001). Even before things get to court women have to go through a tremendous ordeal in Pakistan. Seventy percent of women in police stations were subjected to sexual and physical violence. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Pakistan#Sexual_violence) Having gone through that, it is the woman that can end up in the dock, accused of adultery. (http://www.jazbah.org/asmaj.php)



Having said all the above in order to prove that rape is a political issue and should therefore be discussed openly, it would be futile to deny that for me there is also a personal and moral element involved in why I want the issue publicized. Nobody can fight simultaneously against all injustices. One always picks and chooses one fights and often they are related to a personal starting point.



I have visited Pakistan many times. I have seen the position of women there. I know some of the people involved. And since its inception until two years ago, I sat in the leadership of the IMT. I bare a certain responsibility for what has possibly happened.



I don't give a damn about the present political positions of the IMT, but I do care when a person is possibly seriously affected. Then I feel I must act within the means available. I seriously regret I did not act decisively when I came to know about a similar issue years ago. Then I hid behind the women's assurance that I need not pursue the matter.



It is impossible from a distance to dig out all the facts about an individual rape case. But that makes it no less important to bring to light alleged abuses and allow them to be dealt with openly. Leaving it to the leadership, to deal “sensitively” with the issue, appears to have been a failure in this case. Two years have passed and nothing seems to have been done.



To my knowledge letting the leadership deal with these things “sensitively” has always been a failure, whether it was dealt with by the leadership itself or a control commission. In practice the control commission is not independent, but selected by the leadership. Of all the cases I know of issues of any type going to a control commission, I know of none which I consider has dealt fairly with the issue.



An example is the experience of a young Swedish comrade who was raped many years ago by a South African comrade. At an international control commission the Swedish comrade was subjected to the type of interrogation that would be unacceptable if done by the police or a court of law in Sweden. After that the South African was suspended for two years and the whole thing was silenced. Nothing was done to use this dreadful event to clarify the gravity of this issue to the whole organisation. Rape, just like all other political issues, must be dealt with openly.



The internal culture of the IMT and its predecessor the CWI is such that it tends to smooth over the behaviour of its leaders. This is in keeping with its closed in atmosphere where no discussion is allowed to be held publicly (and even internal discussion must “go through the proper channels”). The justification for this is that “the leadership must lead” and that a united image must be presented to the outside world, lest it give ammunition to “the enemy”.


Without committing myself to the guilt of those that stand accused, I find the testimonies published on this site sufficiently credible that they should be publicized in order for the case to be dealt with openly. I know from personal experience that some of the important circumstances connected to the case are true. I have been in close contact with the leadership of the Pakistani IMT's section for many years. It is clear to me that the consumption of alcohol among the leadership is clearly excessive, even by European standards, never mind the standards of a country where alcohol is illegal. There is a strong social pressure for comrades to consume alcohol. I also personally know of two incidents when a heavily intoxicated leader of the Pakistani section overstepped the boundaries of unwanted sexual attention, although the incidents were not of the gravity that affected Comrade F.


The publication of these testimonies is an attempt to inform members of the IMT of what has been going on. They are unlikely to hear about it any other way, as the leadership maintains a monopoly over the means of communication within the organisation. It expels people who do not accept that. The best that can be hoped for at this stage is that the wrong Comrade F has been, most likely, subjected to be redressed by IMT members demanding a thorough and open investigation. The perpetrators should be expelled if found guilty.

[A Marxist Historian]

...Personaly I don't care if the charges are true or not...

If the IMT had any basic decency around this, at bare minimum some IMT supporters, and there at least used to be plenty of 'em here, would be rushing online to disassociate the IMT from this incredibly outrageous and bannable statement.

Or did they all follow the infamous "mrmikhail" off to Skidmarx? (Where he actually hasn't made an appearance, diving back into whatever mysterious hole he crawled out of).

-M.H.-

[eyeheartlenin]

I think the exodus of IMT supporters, from revleft, or, if we're lucky, from politics in general, will be no loss. The IMT exists to create social democrats, good little Labourites, Chávez worshippers, etc. They take radical workers or subjectively revolutionary young people to submerge them in social democratic, Stalinist, or bourgeois nationalist formations, like chavismo, never to be heard from again. The IMT is the tendency that claimed that Ehud Barak's "Labor" Party in Israel was "leftist," when, in fact, that party represented the Zionist establishment.

That the IMT can find nothing better to do than serve as Chávez' volunteer publicists and tireless cheerleaders forever, no matter what, even after Chávez repeatedly embraced the unspeakable Ahmadinejad, shows just how low the IMT had sunk, even before the appalling news about the misogynist attack in the Pakistani IMT section. It's difficult to think of another tendency whose discrediting and, one can but hope, disappearance, will be such a boon for working people.

[Decolonize The Left]

Just a note: One of the globals or admins should go back and split and trash the whole discussion with that tool, including all the pics he posted. It's too hard to move through the thread without getting side-tracked and the pics are inappropriate for many of our members accessing the site from a public location.

- August

[PhoenixAsh]

moved 99% of Leon T´s posts and the subsequent reactions to him to the trash.

Explanation for those who find their posts moved:

Though I would invite anybody who can make a sound argument for the IMT this Leon T shit was just plain silly and more directed at derailing the thread than making any kind of sound argument. I appreciated all other users who replied to him. Your arguments...most of them were very much to the point. And I am sorry I had to move them. Especially since almost all of them were very much showing an incredible amount of restraint and civility. A sincere thanx.

But given the seriousness of the topic I think the subject deserves to get pruned back to the on-topic relevant debate instead of getting snowed in by some troll having the goal in mind to detract from the issue at hand..

Please continue...

[Carol diez]

This was sent to us by Zafar Imam and other comrades of the IMT in Pakistan.
.................

Gang Rape of a Female Comrade of IMT in Pakistan, Explusion of Comrades and Related Questions


In Pakistan section of IMT, recently there has emerged a crisis, which
is direct result of the wrong doings of Pakistani section's
leadership.

Comrades from Kashmir region, Islamabad and Hyderabad Region of Sindh
Province were expelled during the month of November, December 2011 and
January 2012, without any prior notice, warning or any chance of
clarification. After such bureaucratic decision, many comrades gave
resignations from their basic memberships or gone in-active in
organizational activities.
8 out of 11 CC members of JKNSF were expelled bureaucratically by Adam
Pal on a phone call. L.K and Adam Pal plotted the expulsion. The
militant and hardcore leadership of JKNSF working in the difficult
terrain of Kashmir were expelled because of the differences of
opinion! Is this Marxism or a religion? Is this science or blind
following of Adam Pal and L.K?

After the expulsion of comrades, including comrade Aadil (former JKNSF
president), Shoaib Sham (CC member JKNSF) the position of JKNSF went
very weak in Kashmir. The opposite nationalist group of JKNSF regained
the majority in JKNSF and IMT lost the JKNSF. These bureaucratic
policies of leadership have facilitated the fall of IMT in Pakistan
and accelerated the process of its destruction.

The same happened in Islamabad and Lahore too. Key comrades were
expelled from there too.
Comrade Xulfi Marxist, Zafar Imam and Rashid were expelled from
Hyderabad region of Sindh, and then comrade Haresh's expulsion
followed them. A whole area of Gulab Laghari comprising of four
branches dissolved itself in reaction to this decision, including the
fall of active branches from Hyderabad, Shahdadkot and Ratodero Branch
in Larkana.

These comrades were expelled because they used to ask questions
related to political line of Pakistani section, which is
unquestionably run by one man. These comrades had differences of
opinion on national question primarily, Enterism in PPP,
bureaucratization of organization by one man and many other
undemocratic decisions.

These comrades had another objection over section's top leadership's
role. Three of top leaders were involved in a gang rape of a female
comrade. Organization gave cover to this crime, and instead of
expelling the culprits, they were kept on leading positions. After
whole two years of repeatedly demanding the expulsion of rapists,
instead of punishing the culprits, those comrade were expelled who
demanded explanation of such crime. These were the same comrades who
have recently been expelled.

The leadership of Pakistani section is still in state of denial. Not
only this, but IMT's International leadership too has kept silent.
After repeated appeals for probe, comrades of International section
kept unfriending these comrades from Facebook.
Comrades have now concluded that neither of IMT's leadership is
serious to probe into the matter. It just looks at the matter as if it
never happened. They might be thinking of these comrades as 'some
stupid third world loosers'.

The expelled comrades are given life threats by CC members of IMT's
Pakistani section to 'shut their mouth' otherwise face the
consequences. Evidences of such threats can be produced on demand.
There was no other way left for these comrades, but to write each and
every thing in detail publicly. This became necessary to face the
character assassination tricks observed on these comrades by Pakistani
section leadership.
We are writing this account of the rape incident publicly because
IMT's leadership failed to contact comrades and showed inserious
attitude towards their grievances. Below is the account of gang rape
of female comrade.


Gang rape of female comrade in Karachi
Time: some where between 10.30 pm and 11.30 pm in night
Location of Crime: Karachi Hawks Bay
Related Event: National Winter Marxist School of IMT Pakistan Section
Date: 04 December, 2010

Gang Rapists:
1. PJ ( CC member of IMT Pakistan
section)
2. RL (CC member of IMT Pakistan section)
3. CK (CC Member of IMT Pakistan section)

Victim: Comrade 'F' from Karachi

At the night of 3 December 2010, National Winter School of Pakistani
section was held. At the night of 4 December 2012, just before the
dinner was served, three comrades belonging to national leadership in
Pakistani section got fully drunk and entered the room of female
comrades. There, they molested comrade 'F', belonging to Karachi.
During the gang rape, the incident was reported to top leader of the
section on phone by female companions of the victim, and the leader
called back to culprits to get off and run away. They followed the
orders.

At the night after incident and the other day that followed, the whole
leadership of the section was mobilized to apologize from the victim,
forgive and forget the incident. Moral tricks and psychological
pressures were used to calm her down the next day, because ‘the school
would get disturbed’. It was promised to her that strict and severe
action will be taken against the rapists, but she should be silent the
next day in the school.

However, despite such tricks and giving cover to culprits, next day at
morning, the incident echoed in the words of comrade Amjad Laakhair's
contribution. He, in his contribution in the school, condemned the
event and asked for the immediate action. But...........the leadership
kept silent. A criminal silence was maintained. Leadership is still
silent to this day.

Eye Witness: Xulfi Marxist, Female Comrade Ishrat

Evidences: Almost all participants of the school that night, but to
name a few: Comrade Xulfi Marxist, Comrade Tahir from KPK, Comrades
from K.N.Shah Branch, Comrade Razaq Laghari, Comrade Fahad Memon,
Comrade Ishrat, Comrade Amjad Laakhair.

Eye Witness Account by Xulfi Marxsit (as reported):

At the night of 4 December 2012, when I was passing by the female room
in the wing, where comrades stayed at night during Hawks Bay Winter
School in Karachi, I heard the sobbing voice of a woman. A slow
weeping sound of a woman was coming out of room. I hurried to inquire
what is wrong. I first knocked the door, no reply came. Then I opened
the door. I was astonished at the sight of what I saw. Down the bed at
mattress, was lying comrade 'F'. At one side of her was PJ,
fully drunk. On the Other Side of Her was RL. CK was
sitting nearby her. All the three men were fully drunk as I noticed it
from their movements. Comrade 'F' was weeping, she too was drunk. I
saw that P and RL were molesting her, and she was totally
handicapped by them. On the bed was comrade R, sitting and
weeping. When she saw me, she cried and yelled 'What the hell you
people are doing. I am just now calling L.K, these drunk bastards are
molesting her and giving us threats.

Comrade R also forced me to get out and get lost. She was angry,
weeping. I immediately returned back to report the thing to other
comrades nearby and do something.

Eye witness account by comrade Ishrat as reported:

Female comrades participating in Winter School in Karachi were given
separate room for living. My companions in the room were comrade
Raheela, Myself, comrade 'F' and some others. At the night of 4
December 2010, when we had yet not taken dinner, I was still in my bed
in the room. Comrades outside had drunk and were singing, dancing and
crying. During this hoopla, Comrade 'F' entered the room and lied on
mattress down the bed. She was heavily drunk. Immediately after her,
three men entered our room. I could see they were fully drunk and were
not able to talk properly. At first I thought that comrades might have
got some immediate work with us, that is why they have entered our
room unwelcome. But I quickly understood that there was something
wrong with them.

RL opened his arms and stretched them to comrade 'F', who was
lying totally dozed on mattress. He cried in zeal, "I love you 'F', I
love you" and suddenly broke into her bed over her. He was quickly
followed by the other two, who forcefully entered her bed. For me, it
was unbelievable. We resisted and shouted at them to get lost of our
room. But they could hardly listen to us. They kept on molesting
comrade F, who was unable to resist them by force because of her
condition, though she was abusing them to get off her body. I and my
other companion started to abuse them, shout at them and then kick
them to get away from F. This resulted in threat by PJ, who
asked us to keep silent otherwise he will beat us. This was
unbelievable and tormenting.

Before us, comrade F was weeping and abusing them to get away from
her, but neither she nor we were in position to get off with those
drunk monsters.
We started to cry and weep, totally feeling helpless. To whom could we
ask for help? We were frightened from all of the male comrades present
that night in the School. Because most of them were drunk, and who
knows how will they react? Will they too do the same with us? There
were enormous doubts. We were fearful. My companion comrade Raheela
called comrade L.K from her cell phone to report to him the incident
and help us. She could hardly talk to him.

Quickly after she talked on phone, the mobile phones started to ring
and one of the monsters talked on the phone. They then quickly got off
from 'F' and ran away out of our room.
After about half hour of the incident, almost every body in the School
came to know what had happened. Different comrades kept knocking our
door and expressing their grief with us regarding the incident. But to
be honest, we were really frightened. We could hardly sleep that
night.

Post-incident Remarks of some comrades:

Comrade Taahir from KPK: Comrade Tahir was present at the occasion
that night, who witnessed the whole thing. He was a newly recruited
comrade, who had come first time to attend the Marxist school. After
this gang rape incident, he was highly disappointed by IMT and left
the organization. Currently he lives in Kohat. Contact details of
Tahir can be provided on request.

Taahir: It was unbelievable for me to witness such crime committed by
those who preached for a just society. I couldn't believe that the
Marxists could do so? For days, the incident disturbed me mentally. I
could not get along with such organization, where the leadership was
raping its own comrades. At that night, after I knew about the
incident, I wanted to beat the rapists. But somebody told me that they
had escaped from the scene. I left the organization. I was totally
disappointed.

Comrade Ishrat: Comrade Ishrat was a female comrade, who was companion
of the victim that night. After coming back from school, she left the
organization immediately. To this day, she abuses the organization
because it did nothing to punish the rapists. Contact details of
comrade Ishrat can be given on request.

Ishrat: I had seen the rape with my own eyes and I couldn't help my
companion. This feeling of helplessness had torn me apart. From that
night, I can't figure out how those can do such a crime who advocate a
society of justice, peace and free from chains? I simply couldn't
believe my very own eyes that night. I hate those bastards. They were
monsters. I decided to leave this organization, where female comrades
are too much insecure. In fact, they are male chauvinists.

The Moral Trick

After the incident of rape came to surface, first time publicly on
Facebook, comrades were replied with threats of facing serious
'consequences'. One CC member, namely Anwar Panhwar, in branch meeting
of Shahdadkot, clearly gave death threat to comrade Haresh - the
expelled one. After that, such tricks continue to date.

One special trick that Pakistani section leadership of IMT did was:
Why didn't these comrades went public about the gang rape at that time
when the gang rape was committed? Why do they now openly 'allege' on
Facebook and break the discipline of organization? Isn't against the
'discipline' to 'allege' comrades and true 'Marxists' publicly? Why
did they not contact the organization before coming public?

Well, it is hypocrisy at its best in the first place. Why did not the
organization bothered about the rape incident for whole two years?
Why, we ask, did it not take action against the rapists even after
repeated demands of probe by different comrades at different times?
Why, in the first place, did it give cover to rapists and kept them on
the highest possible leading positions of the section till date?

And, what about this advice that the 'discipline' of the organization
should have been followed? To your knowledge, the matter was being
discussed within the organization for whole two years. Leadership
didn't bother to take an inch of step ahead against these culprits.
This moral trick of 'discipline' can not be imposed on the expelled
comrades, because they followed the discipline for whole two years and
kept trying to solve the matter - along with some other political
differences - within the organizational discipline. But when they were
kicked out of the organization, how could they keep silent? Which
discipline to follow?

Further, did the organization itself cared a little of 'discipline'?
From giving cover to rapists to expelling the comrades, it kept on
breaking its own discipline. Why should the expelled comrades now
respect the discipline of a dead skeleton, which has no meaning for
them now?
We now think that the time is over to appeal before IMT's
International leadership. It played the wait and see game for long. It
didn't intervene. It kept itself aloof, as if it was a supernatural
structure resting on the Mars, knowing nothing of the world near it!!

Even then, if IMT's International leadership is a bit serious about it
and wants to probe into the matter, we are ready to provide access to
all eye witnesses and evidences. But in our understanding, we think
that the time for IMT is over. A Marxist organization can not keep
itself aloof from the crimes of leadership of its section. If it does
so, it is accountable to history.
Long Live Socialist Revolution! Long Live the voice of truth

Comrades from Lahore Region
Comrades from Hyderabad Region
Comrades from Islamabad Region
Comrades from Kashmir Region
I read this post this morning, but didn't want to get involved at the time. As a woman, Rape is very serious, and should be taken seriously. However, I would like to point out a few things, from what was deleted today. Leon T gained all his information from this detailed post, but I think he made some stuff up. He is also from London, so he probable hears Heiko more then we do. I do not think this was an official statement from the IMT, but rather a person who objects to Heiko personally. I would like to hear an actual member of the IMT at least acknowledge they are investigating it...at the very least. We shouldn't be making any judjments either way based on this one post from Karlmarx.net.

[johnTh]

I have read this "document" and first of all I thought I would not pay much attention to a statement which is unsigned (other than "comrades here and there"), why no names? not even initials? I mean, anyone could have made this up and then relied on people like the TANIT crowd (Heiko and Jonathan Clyne) to spread it widely.

However, the "document" builds up its credibility by mentioning names and places, so-called witnesses and then people who talked about the "incident", etc.

Finally, I got hold of a response by the IMT, which I have to say it demolishes the whole story very effectively. All of the "witnesses" quoted in the document of allegations have signed statements saying the whole story is a fabrication, as well as the alleged "victim" (with the one exception of "Xulfi Marxist" himself who seems to be the author of the document). There are even people who are quoted as having complained to the school the day after the incident, who have signed a statement saying they were not even present.

What I think needs to be asked, seriously, is, why did TANIT chose to spread these allegations, make them public, without even checking any of the facts? Are they just naive? Are they malicious? Are they motivated by spite against the IMT? Is there something more to it? I think one has the right to ask these questions.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Dossier:

Halt the provocations!
Support the Pakistan Marxists!

In the last weeks a new attack has been waged against The Struggle, the Pakistani section of the International Marxist Tendency. This attack is aimed at some of our most prominent members, comrades who have been actively involved in leading positions in the mass movement. The launching of this campaign of slanders and fabrications is no accident, and nor is its timing. It has all the hallmarks of a deliberate provocation.

The perpetrators of this provocation have been promoting the idea that a crisis in the section has erupted and a large number of members have resigned in Hyderabad, Kashmir, Karachi, etc. There is not a single word of truth in this.

The most disgusting aspect of this campaign is the allegation that a female comrade of the Pakistan section has been “gang-raped” (!) at a Marxist school. It is further claimed that this alleged act was carried out by some leading comrades, and that the leadership of the section had covered that up.

These slanderous allegations have been widely circulated in public and semi-public forums by a few former members of the IMT and its Pakistan section who have publicised them by the usual tactic of mass spamming to undisclosed recipients, on Facebook and postings on some leftist forums.

All these accusations are baseless and false. They only have one aim: to undermine and destroy the Marxist Tendency.
Two worlds
There are two worlds. They are so different that they might as well be two planets. And one world has no knowledge or understanding of the other.
The first world is comfortable to live in. In this world a man can sit before a computer screen and live in a virtual world of “revolutionary struggle”. He can do this all day, every day because he has nothing else to do. In such “struggles” no shots are fired and nobody is killed or injured. It is a comfortable sort of “revolutionary struggle”.
In this world small groups, frequently consisting of one or two sad individuals, constantly spy on other, similar, groups. They study all the minutiae of what is said and written (but not what is done, because they never actually do anything). They comment, discuss and gossip – above all, gossip. They assiduously spread the latest gossip, no matter how outrageous. In such circles, this is what passes for “revolutionary activity” – which is no activity at all.
Then there is another world. It is the world of countries like Pakistan. Here the revolutionary struggle takes place on a quite different level. Very few people sit in front of computers because they cannot afford them. They can scarcely afford bread. Very few people read what is published on Facebook because many people cannot read at all.
In Pakistan, the revolutionary struggle is fought for real. In this struggle, people are killed every day. People are arrested and tortured by the police. People are killed by American drones and murdered by the bosses agents or religious fanatics. The struggle between political parties is often conducted with fists and guns.
In addition to physical violence and actual assassination, there are other weapons: slander, lies, intrigues and character assassination. Corruption is yet another weapon. Corruption exists in the developed nations also. It can be seen in American elections. But nothing in Europe and America can compare with the level of obscene corruption in Pakistan’s political life.
In Pakistan everything is for sale, not just discreetly, in the corridors of power, but openly, blatantly, and in the public market place. Members of parliament change parties in exchange for vast sums of money. The possession of public office is regarded only as a means of plundering the people. There are no real corruption scandals because corruption is accepted as a way of life.
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which grew on the basis of the 1968-9 Revolution, is really two parties. On the one hand there are the millions of workers and peasants who vote for the PPP and stand for socialism, and hundreds of thousands of loyal Party members who stand for the same thing. On the other hand there is Zardari, one of the richest men in Pakistan, and the right-wing clique who control the leadership and are in government.
These two parties are at war. The right wing Zardari clique has completely sold out to big business and US imperialism. It is corrupt to the marrow of its bones. It is carrying out a vicious anti-working class policy. It is privatizing everything in the interests of the capitalists. It is presiding over falling living standards and daily power outages. It is collaborating with the USA. And it is hated by the workers and peasants.
The workers and peasants of Pakistan have no alternative but to fight to defend themselves. This is not a matter of choice. The workers of Britain or the USA are facing hardship. But the workers of Pakistan are facing actual hunger.
Despite extremely difficult conditions, there have been many strikes. And in many cases these strikes and protests have been led by members of the Pakistan Section of the IMT. This has enraged the PPP leadership, which has been waging war on the Marxist Tendency for years. This one-sided war was intensified when Zardari came to power.
This latest attack is just one more example of this.
1) The story of “gang rape”

The story of gang-rape is a complete fabrication from start to finish. In the first place, we wish to point out that the female comrade who our enemies are targeting in this malicious campaign is a respected leading figure of the Pakistan section who is currently leading our women’s work in Karachi.
The comrade was completely surprised when she heard about this story. She indignantly denies that any part of this atrocious tale is true. As a matter of fact, she is enjoying her revolutionary work with the leading comrades of Karachi and regularly attends Marxist Schools.
She was present at both National schools held in 2011, though she had to travel a long distance and had to spend from her meager income. Her pictures can be seen in the reports of those schools.
Actually, the National Schools this year were a big success. Not only was the participation huge but the level of discussion was very high. A member of the CEC of the PPP was present at our National school in Multan. He attended whole school for three days with pen and paper in his hands, listening to lead offs by comrades half his age. He made only one intervention in the school in which he said that if these schools happened at the time of his youth, things would have been different now. Actually 50 percent of the youth at the Marxist school in Multan were below 20 years of age.
Another important feature of the National School is the meeting of the National Women Bureau. For last 2 years we have been regularly holding 3 national meetings of the NWB every year: one at the Congress and 2 along side the National School. This has helped to advance our women work, especially the cadre building of women comrades is being focused, which is giving good results.
We will not reveal the identity of this comrade out of respect for her personal dignity and honor, unlike our enemies, who did not hesitate to give details about her in public, knowing that this would do her harm. We have in our possession a letter in which she emphatically denies that any such thing occurred.
The first thing to note is that these allegations are UNSIGNED. The second point is they are COMPLETELY UNSUBSTANTIATED.
The alleged victim has sent us a signed statement denying that the alleged offence ever took place. She writes the following:
“Hello comrades!
“The story of gang rape is totally manufactured by enemies of IMT. I seriously condemn this act and declare that I am enjoying revolutionary work with leading comrades in Karachi and elsewhere. I also want to declare that it is a daunting task for women here to participate in revolutionary work. It is a common practice here to spread rumours and scandalize comrades.
“Enemies of revolution are using mean tactics to destroy our work. I condemn all this and vow to continue my struggle for the emancipation of working class.
“With Bolshevik regards,
[Signed] 18/2/2012”
This letter should make all those who participated in this vicious campaign, helping to circulate such lies, hang their heads in shame, if they have any shame left – which we doubt.
2) The “witnesses”

What about the “witnesses” cited by the accusers? The key “witness” (the female “comrade I.”) has sent us a signed statement saying that her alleged statement is false and a malicious invention. She has written the following:
“Dear comrades,
“As I informed on 17th February by comrades that Zafar Imam wrote an email in which he wrote a statement about me that I had been eye witnessed of a gang rape happened to a female comrade at Karachi School in December 2010. When I saw my statement in e-mail I was completely shocked that how Zafar can wrote that statement about me without asking me? I want to tell you that I with my husband and other comrades of Hyderabad went to Karachi school which was so highly educational experienced for me.
“I need to tell you, that night no any such incident happened at school. Zafar has blamed highly dirty and cheap allegations on organisation and comrades. I am going to tell you about the location of that hut where the school was held. There were two big rooms, one corridor holding grand lawn. One room was allotted for female comrades and more than 100 comrades used to sleep rest of the hut.
“As you know that after sessions in evening comrades organize social gatherings in which comrades singing, dancing and enjoying with each other, however that night all comrades were also present in the lawn and making discussion. I and more than 20 other male and female comrades were there in exciting mood. After a moment comrades of management made an announcement that all comrades go to their room and get sleep, because next day we start last day’s sessions early in the morning and many comrades have to sleep in that lawn and then we all females went to our room making discussion till late night and gone sleep.
“How can such incident (gang rape) happen in a place where about 200 comrades gathered? And how can any comrade act like that? Zafar Imam who made a fake and dirty statement about me. He was participated many organizational events and activities with his sisters and wife, and never such any incident happen to his family and now he is alleging on comrades. It can be judged this cultural, political and ideological level from such allegations he created.
“The main point is that he was not present at the school because on the 3rd December there was a reception of his own marriage in his town Shahdadkot. And as he mentioned that I resigned from organizational membership is not true. I am still active member at my branch in Hyderabad Area. I am taking part in all organizational activities and recently we organized an Area Marxist School in Hyderabad office.
“I request to the comrades don’t consider such information by these people, who one making fake propaganda against IMT and Pakistani Section. [Signed]” (our emphasis)
This letter speaks for itself. It presents a truthful account of what really happened at the school. It also points out that the individual making the accusations was not even present at the school where this was supposed to have occurred. The statement claims she “resigned from the organization in disgust”. In fact, this comrade never resigned and is playing a very active role in the organization.
From this it is abundantly clear that there is not a word of truth in all these accusations.
Another "eyewitness" named in the "report" is comrade Tahir, an ex-member of the organization. He has told us the following:

"It is pointed out that my name is badly used as witness in the bogus story of "rape case" in the Marxist school at Hox Bay Karachi on 4/12/10, which [is] launched by ex angry member of The Struggle comrade Rashid Lughari. Moreover, I left behind all political activities of The Struggle as a past stories... it is request to all comrades of the IMT Pakistan section: please don't believe on such bogus references.

“With best wishes Tahir Biag"

Among the innumerable falsehoods and inventions, the “report” states that “the Gulab Leghari area dissolved itself” in protest at the “expulsions”. This is completely without foundation. We have a letter from the Regional secretary of Sindh, including the list of membership of Gulab Leghari sub area, with 35 names.

Finally, the "report" talks of Amjad Lakheer mentioning the so-called gang rape the day after in the plenary session. This is also false. In fact, this comrade was not even present in that school. We have a signed statement by him confirming this.

In other words, the alleged victim completely denies that any such incident occurred, and this is firmly backed up by all the witnesses – except for one. THE ONE EXCEPTION IS “XULFI MARXIST” – THE ONE WHO HAS CONCOCTED THE ENTIRE STORY.

With this totally unfounded slander, our core work of cadre building is being targeted which shows that this is the result of serious planning of our enemies. By circulating this manufactured story of “gang rape” our enemies want to sabotage our important activity of National School. If such rumors are put in circulation and gain credence, it will be very difficult to get more women to participate, as a result of pressure from parents, husbands, brothers etc.
Those who manufactured this story know just what they are doing. Anyone who knows anything about Pakistan society knows that it is extremely difficult to get women to participate actively in a Marxist organization. Thanks to the tireless and self-sacrificing work of our female comrades we have made good progress in our work in this important field, although there is a lot more to be done.
The timing is also no accident. The attacks are taking place at a time when we are focusing on our preparations for the 2012 congress. With a big rise in fares and other commodities it is a lot more difficult for comrades with meager incomes to attend congress this year. This unscrupulous attack by our enemies is nothing else but a desperate effort to sabotage our congress.
3) More lies: The JKNSF
Another lie that is put in circulation is that the Marxists have “lost control of the JKNSF (Jammu Kashmir National Student Federation)”.
The allegation that the JKNSF has been hijacked by nationalist elements and has gone out of the influence of International Marxist Tendency is baseless. The realities on the ground are quite the opposite of what is being presented by this dishonest propaganda. As recently as December 28th, 2011 the JKNSF held its central convention in Rawalpindi, with the participation of more than 2000 students and youngsters.
The convention was not only attended by the leadership of the JKNSF but leadership of many other student organizations was also present there. These include: Tariq Afghan (President Pashtoon Student Federation), Zubair Baloch (Senior Vice President Baloch Student Organization), Saqib Farooq (Chairman Publicity Board Jammu Kashmir Peoples Students Federation) and leaders from many trade unions.
This convention was an important milestone in the history of student politics of Kashmir and Pakistan, as representatives from progressive student organizations of all the provinces and nationalities attended it and a serious debate on the ideas of Marxism started within different organizations after it. This will help spread the ideas of revolutionary Marxism within wider layer of youth in the future.
The Central Leadership of the JKNSF was elected unanimously in the convention. The average age of this leadership is not more than 20 years and majority of them are studying at various colleges and universities. Hence, for the first time in the history of the JKNSF, a real students' leadership has not only came forward but was elected in a purely democratic and transparent way.
After the convention, an alliance of progressive student federations with the name of "All Pakistan Progressive Youth Alliance" was formed, and the ex JKNSF president, comrade Amjad Shahsawar was elected as its organizer which shows that our student work is a role model and inspiration for other progressive student organizations.
A few days ago, the anniversary of the death of Maqbool Butt, a hero of the Kashmir independence movement, was celebrated by the branches of the JKNSF, not only in Kashmir, but in various cities of Pakistan. Marvelous rallies and seminars attended by hundreds of students were organized in Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bagh, Rawlakot, Sandnoti and Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi.
Right now the JKNSF is the only student organization in Kashmir active in the struggle for solutions to the common problems faced by students and youth. Central President JKNSF comrade Rashid Sheikh visited whole of Kashmir in January 2012, when he arranged meetings and a serious debate on organization building took place.
The slanderers are basing themselves on the fact that a couple of former activists of JKNSF left us because they wanted to have the new president’s position. However, the young comrades refused, not just because of their over age which is nearly 40, but because of their sabotaging activities against IMT, carried out at the behest of Manzoor Ahmed and co. One of them, Shoaib Sham had actually left JKNSF many years ago.
As usual, disgruntled elements who abandon the Marxist movement feel the need to blacken its name in order to justify their desertion. But we do not need the company of deserters who go over to the ranks of the class enemy. They are very welcome to them.
4) Our revolutionary work
Because of our work in the PPP and labour movement the leadership of PPP and Peoples Labour Bureau (the PPP trade union wing) is worried about the growing influence of the Marxists. Let us just cite a few recent examples:
Also, on the death of Nusrat Bhutto, mother of Benazir Bhutto and wife of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, we organized a condolence public meeting in Malir, Karachi from where we contested general elections in 2008. This public meeting was organized from the platform of committee of ideological workers inside PPP.
It was a successful meeting in which die-hard workers of PPP openly spoke against the leadership. Also we are holding study circles of leading members of youth and student wings of the PPP in Karachi‘s most dangerous areas.
Due to these activities our comrades in Karachi received death threats, first from MQM and later by Peoples Aman (Peace) Committee which is an armed gang propped up by the PPP leadership.
Our position against the alliance of the PPP with the MQM (a neo-fascist party) is attracting many workers towards us.
On 5th January in Hyderabad press club, we celebrated the birthday of PPP founder ZulfikarAli Bhutto with veteran Communist leader Jam Saqi as chief guest. This was organized on the platform of the ideological workers inside PPP. Similar activities are being held in Gulab Leghari and many other cities of Sindh, which is considered as the strongest base of PPP. (ZAB and his family is from Sindh). This is annoying not only the local leadership of PPP but also the top leadership.
On the trade union front, the PTUDC is getting a lot of influence in trade union movement. The nationwide tour of the PTUDC leadership was a big success.( )
From Malakand in the North to Karachi in the south comrades travelled to all the big cities and proletarian centres and held successful public meetings, conventions, rallies etc. The important thing is that many major trade union leaders not only participated under our banner but expressed complete solidarity with us.
The CBA unions from OGDCL (the Oil and Gas Company of the Pakistan government.), CDA Islamabad, Railways, WAPDA and many others showed their appreciation of the work of the PTUDC and vowed to join our struggle.
A successful labour conference in Islamabad recently was also a big blow to opportunists in labour movement and PPP( )
A few days ago workers of hospitals in Islamabad won a big battle due to our participation in the struggle. Our comrades were playing key role in nurses union while other comrades were inviting trade union leaders from other key sectors who made speeches there and supported this movement. (
WAPDA, the Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority, was created in 1958 as a Semi-Autonomous Body for the purpose of coordinating and giving a unified direction to the development of schemes in Water and Power Sectors, which were previously being dealt with, by the respective Electricity and Irrigation Department of the Provinces.WAPDA is the key department in Pakistan not only strategically but also because it has the largest workforce. Hydro union of WAPDA is the largest union in Pakistan and is leading the largest federation Pakistan Workers Federation and confederation.
In the last week of December 2011 a national public meeting of Hydro union was held in Hyderabad in which its central leadership was participating. This meeting was called to denounce the current policy of the government to privatize WAPDA and break it into smaller units at regional levels. Hundreds of workers were there. The central leadership, as always was giving no concrete strategy and was confusing workers. In the meantime with the efforts of PTUDC comrades in Hyderabad, comrade Paras got a chance to speak. Actually this happened due to the efforts of our comrades from the Jamshoro Power Station branch. Jamshoro Power Station is also being privatized along with 8 other Power Stations in Pakistan.
Comrade Paras took a strong position and said that we should go on strike against this and, if necessary, we should switch off the electricity of the entire country against this policy. This made the workers jubilant and they took Paras on their shoulders. After that a resolution was passed from the platform, that if government will not end its policy of privatizing WAPDA we will go on strike and eventually will switch off the electricity of the entire country.
The Central Leadership of WAPDA was quite embarrassed.
There are many other incidents where our comrades have done marvelous interventions in trade union movement.
In the Steel Mills in Karachi our influence is growing. Our comrade is joint secretary of the CBA and is fighting against the policies of the union leaders and the PPP government. Also we have set up a new branch among young workers of the Steel Mills.
In Lahore, we are reviving the tradition of Arif Shah, which is creating panic for the industry owners in North Lahore. Young doctors are also very active against Punjab government and have won important battles which resulted in a huge increase in their salaries. These days they are on strike against a fake medicines scandal of Punjab government. YDA, Young Doctors Association is actually our brainchild and led by our longstanding comrade Dr. Aftab who is currently Information Secretary of YDA Punjab.
In Rahim Yar Khan, the PTUDC is leading the labour movement and we have branches and comrades in Unilever, Coca Cola, FFC etc.
In Nestle, Kabirwala, a big struggle was recently launched by the workers against the management in which trade union leaders were even sent to jail. The PTUDC played a key role in defending the rights of the workers.
Another industrial hub is Taxila, Wah where we have made good advances. In Pakistan Ordnance Factory Wah we have won leadership of CBA and are holding regular study circles.
In the Railways we are also advancing. We have 3 branches in Railways in Rawalpindi, in Peshawar we are leading both the unions in Railways (labour union and workers union), General Secretary of Labour union Peshawar Railway is CC member (Railways minister is also from Peshawar, who is threatening our comrades). in Multan and Khanewal we have one branch each in Railways, in Hyderabad, Mirpur Khas, Rohri, Quetta and Karachi leading union leaders are members of PTUDC and org. May day 2011 in Quetta was held on Railway Station.
5) Who is being attacked?
The main target of these calumnies is the alleged victim of “rape” herself. Those who invented this story are well aware of the serious consequences for such things in Pakistan. This is a cynical attempt to disrupt our work among women, which will not succeed in its objective. We have already published her reply above.
The other targets are leading members of the Section, starting with comrade Riaz Lund, a courageous class fighter with a proven record of years of revolutionary struggle. Comrade Riaz played an important role in some of the moist significant struggles of the Pakistan working class, including the victory of the PIA and Karachi electric supply workers last year, which enormously boosted the influence and stature of the IMT amongst the workers.
Our enemies cannot forgive Riaz Lund for getting 46,080 votes in the 2008 elections - the highest ever vote for PPP in that constituency. Comrade Lund achieved this in struggle against the neo -fascist MQM. Yet after the elections the PPP leaders formed an alliance with the MQM. This has infuriated the PPP rank and file in Karachi, which is Pakistan’s Petrograd.

The other leading comrade being attacked is comrade Paras, who has also played a leading role in the struggles of the workers in the recent period. In 2011 there was a big movement of workers in the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation KESC in which comrade Paras and others played a leading role.
The speeches of comrade Paras played a key role in keeping the movement alive for many months. Thousands of workers gathered in sit-ins for many weeks and in strike etc. always listened to comrade Paras with interest and carried him on their shoulders after his speeches raising revolutionary slogans.
In a speech at a sit in on 14th August 2011(Independence Day of Pakistan) when all the leadership of the Karachi PPP was sitting on stage, comrade Paras first of all criticized right wing parties and then openly criticized the anti labour policies of the PPP government. He said that workers will take revenge on Gilani and other leaders who are betraying the founding principles of the PPP. Nearly 10,000 workers present at that time chanted revolutionary slogans in jubilation. But the PPP leadership was annoyed.
No we have an active branch of most militant and leading workers of KESC. All this is casing alarm in the upper ranks of the PPP and the trade union bureaucracy. That, and no other, is the reason why they are trying to spread poisonous attacks against leading Marxist militants of unimpeachable honor.
6) What is the reason for this attack?

It is difficult for someone who is used to the relatively civilized standards of a western bourgeois democracy to comprehend the methods used by the PPP bureaucracy, which is closely enmeshed with the Pakistan state. The levels of intrigue go far beyond what would be considered normal even for the most corrupt and degenerate bureaucratic leaders in the west.
The Pakistani state has noted the successes of the Marxist Tendency, and Zardari and the right wing PPP leadership has been trying to orchestrate a covert campaign to damage the organization. He tried to do this first from within through treachery and deceit. He bought the services of Manzoor Ahmed for this purpose. But the organization defeated these attacks and intrigues.

Zardari looked for a weak link in our leadership and found it in Manzoor Ahmed, whom he bribed with the offer of a high position in the Party, following his election defeat. We have already given full details of how this was done. At first, Zardari attempted to use Manzoor to bring the Marxists under control. But this tactic failed and Manzoor was compelled to leave the organization with a small handful of people whom he had corrupted with offers of jobs, contracts or promotion. This so called ‘drama’ was orchestrated and staged with the sponsorship of the Pakistani establishment.
Since that time, the main activity of this renegade, apart from pushing Zardari’s privatization campaign, has been to undermine, split and destroy the Marxist Tendency. For this task he has been provided with plush offices in Islamabad, manned by well-paid stooges. Their sole activity is to spy on the Marxist Tendency, infiltrate it to undermine it from within, organize splits etc.
They assiduously gather information about any internal problems and gossip about comrades’ personal lives – anything that can be “recycled”, magnified, exaggerated and turned into black propaganda and slanders. They systematically recruit people with grudges, egotists, careerists who feel they have not been sufficiently promoted and so on, whom they use for organizing intrigues and provocations.
7) Who is making these allegations?
We have seen the names of the people who (publicly) are behind the allegations. We know these individuals very well. They are former members of the Tendency who left for a variety of reasons and have a deep grudge against us. They are partly motivated by spite, but also have allowed themelves to be manipulated by hostile elements who are pulling the strings from behind the scenes.
a) As far as Adil Khan is concerned he left the organization, seduced by the offers made to him by Manzoor Ahmed. He was present in many open activities sponsored by M.A., paid for by the funds doled out by Kashmir Government.
b) Zafar Imam from Sindh writes a column in Sindhi newspapers almost daily. Because of this, a few people started to know him, which has filled his intellectual ego with a lot of hot air. Due to “pressure” from his readers he changed his position on the National Question and PPP work. He has openly criticized IMT in his columns. Also, he told comrades in Hyderabad that because he is now a famous person, they should not ask him to buy paper, pay subs or attend meetings. Comrades should meet him only through his columns.

c) Dr. Harish was a full timer (4 years ago) but withdrew from that after a failed love affair. He is presently working as a doctor of psychiatry and works in 3 different mental hospitals at different times. This means that he has been unable to carry out his revolutionary duties satisfactorily. This comrade’s record shows that he is personally extremely unstable and unreliable.

Dr. Harish is also general secretary of Left Unity - a group of various NGOs and sects in Sindh, and sponsored by ISI. Comrades opposed Harish accepting this position but he couldn’t resist, due to his weak character and opportunistic tendencies. He is always the main speaker in gatherings of this organization.
Ironically, only a few months back Zafar Imam and Dr. Harish were bitter enemies of each other and were not ready to work with each other. They made serious allegations against each other. Now they have joined together to attack the Section. It is not the first time we have seen such a thing, nor will it be the last.
d) Xulfi and Rashid Leghari are both declassed youth who benefit from a bit of higher wages from Zafar and Harish. Neither of them have paid their subs for last 2 years and they were not attending official meetings. They were not only ridiculing active comrades but threatening them if they did not agree with them. They were in regular contact with lumpenproletarian elements of students federations of Nationalist parties, who are infamous for kidnapping for ransom, target killing etc.

The case of Xulfi (who pretentiously signs himself Xulfi Marxist) would be funny if its implications were not so serious. His “activities” were entirely confined to Facebook, where he appointed himself a “virtual member” of the IMT. For some time he praised the organization to the skies. Indeed, his praise was so lavish and exaggerated it was embarrassing. Now he finds himself outside, he has gone to the opposite extreme. It is hard to say which was worse, his praise or his calumnies!

Incidentally, according to his own version, he was aware about the so-called “gang rape” 18 months ago, yet he only began to shout about it when he was taken off the membership lists. This poses the question:

What kind of a man is it who, being supposedly aware that the leaders of the organization have committed a heinous crime, not only remained silent on the subject, but continued to sing the praises of the organization and its leaders on every conceivable occasion? Either he is a dishonest hypocrite who is complicit in a crime, or a brazen liar who has invented a non-existent incident for the purpose of blackening the name of the organization he used to belong to, because it has parted company with him. In fact, the latter is the case.

All these dubious elements were approached by our enemies, namely by Sajjad Mehdi, a crony of Manzoor Ahmed, based in Islamabad. He had a meeting with them in Hyderabad where they hatched a plan to sabotage the IMT. We have answered them in successful aggregates in Karachi, Hyderabad, Dadu, Mirpur Khas, etc.
8) PPP involvement

Our achievements in building the revolutionary movement are well known to our friends and enemies alike. They are being made at a time when labour movement in Pakistan is at a low ebb. It is not an easy task to attract people towards Marxist ideas when they feel betrayed by their leaders and are in no mood to fight. Comrades have to run after each and every worker continuously.
The successes of the Marxist Tendency have created problem for Manzoor Ahmed and his cronies, along with the leadership of the PPP. Please keep in mind that ex-comrade Chaudhary Manzoor is in charge of Peoples Labour Bureau nationally – that is to say, he is in charge of selling the line of Zardari and the right wing PPP leaders to the workers, above all Privatization.
Even before he came to power, Zardari knew that he would be carrying out the dirty work of the ruling class and imperialism. He knew he would face bitter opposition from the workers to privatization and other anti-working class policies. He knew he would face a revolt in the ranks of the PPP. How could he permit the existence of a powerful Marxist Tendency in the Party?
The PPP is under the pressure of the IMF and World Bank to carry out a big scale privatization, and they are using M.A. to control the labour movement. However, there is a resistance in the rank and file workers and the ruling class is afraid that it might erupt somewhere.
In 2011 the strike in PIA is a good example, where workers went on a strike and demanded end of privatization. Manzoor was appointed by Zardari for negotiations with workers. However, he failed miserably and the workers won the battle. Please note that CBA in PIA is the Peoples Unity, which is affiliated to the PPP through the Peoples Labour Bureau.
Zardari has always appointed his cronies as president of the People’s Unity rather than the workers of PIA. M.A. tried to buy workers of the People’s Unity and ended up with dividing the Peoples Unity in two groups. However, a majority of workers remained loyal to the strike which ended in victory. The PTUDC played a key role in all this, as a result of which the central vice president of the Peoples Unity, comrade Shoaib, is now a member of our organization and will attend congress 2012.()
At a time when the PPP government wants to go for aggressive privatization () they fear a backlash. But from whom they fear? The trade union leaders can be bought easily, though they may be a little reluctant due to pressure from below, but eventually they are for sale.
It is from the IMT in Pakistan they feel a real threat. To counter this threat they have made serious plans. A plush office near Islamabad has been made available for this conspiracy. That is where Atif, Sajjad Mehdi along with other employees of the bureaucracy with fat salaries are working under the leadership of Manzoor Ahmed.
9) ISI involvement

These tactics are very well known in Pakistan. They are the same tactics that have always been used by the Pakistan Intelligence Services (ISI) to combat leftist organizations. And we know that the right wing Zardari clique has close contacts with the ISI who we are in no doubt the real authors of this strategy. These attacks have got the fingerprints of the ISI all over them.
Why should the ISI be concerned? The ISI (Pakistan Military Intelligence) is conscious that there is a growing threat from the Marxists, especially due to our work in Malakand and Waziristan (the tribal areas near the border with Afghanistan). We have recently won 50 new comrades in Swat. This area was the ground for a fake war between Pakistan Army and Taliban.
Two years back Taliban were ruling Swat and were mercilessly killing common people. We have won these people due to our positions against the Taliban, the Pakstan Army and US Imperialism: all three. But it is important to note that comrades working there had to put their lives at risk by putting these positions. Their lives are still at risk.

Pakistan Army is establishing a cantonment in Swat, while the Taliban are trying to stage a comeback. In this situation big growth of IMT in this area is alarming to the ISI.
Similarly we are organizing the labour movement in Bannu, an important city near North Waziristan, Osama bin Laden stayed in suburbs of Bannu for a long time. In this city which was constantly under curfew and where mobile phone service was banned for many years, and where a blast occurred every other day, we held May Day activity and other labour union gatherings, when nobody else dared.
In Wana, South Waziristan comrade Ali Wazir is a popular communist. Actually, when he contested general elections in 2008 he was among more than a dozen candidates. He is the only one who is alive now.
Our advances in Afghanistan are also a big step forward. We will give details of that work to comrade A.W when he visits Pakistan.
This is why that our enemies are being funded heavily only for one purpose: to sabotage the IMT in Pakistan.
You doubt this? But it is not really so surprising. In the so-called “western democracies” the state and its intelligence agencies pays close attention to the Labour Movement and to all Leftist organizations. It is public knowledge that MI5 had at least 30 agents inside Militant in Britain. In the 1950s the FBI had many more agents inside the American Communist Party. And more recently it was exposed that the British police had an agent infiltrated in a Green activist group for seven years.
If such methods are used by the intelligence services in “western democracies”, can there be any doubt whatsoever that the agencies of the Pakistan state would use even more blatant methods to infiltrate and destroy a large and influential Marxist organization? As for Zardari and the PPP right wing, their motivation is quite clear.
We will not be defeated by dirty methods!
To be a Marxist in Pakistan is no easy task. We are involved, not in Facebook politics, but struggling in real life revolutionary work in extremely difficult and dangerous conditions. On a daily basis we face beatings, arrest, torture and murder, as well as incredible poverty, bad housing and all the other ills suffered by the masses in our sorry country. Despite all the difficulties we have succeeded in winning a significant layer of the most advanced workers and youth to the banner of revolutionary Marxism.
This is not a children’s game. Our comrades face repression and danger every day: from the bosses, who assassinated our leading trade union comrade Arif Shah, from the state, from the fascist MQM who put a bullet in the body of comrade Riaz Lund, from the Taliban who issue death threats every day to our comrades in Waziristan, and from the hired goons of Zardari and the right wing leaders of the PPP.

People in the West may not be fully aware of the extent of filth, deceit and treachery in politics in Pakistan. There are innumerable Facebook and internet organizations claiming thousands of members whose only aim is to use scandals for the purpose of blackmail and extortion.

It has to be stated clearly that the source of the present campaign of slanders has to be identified in our enemies within the state apparatus, the PPP, particularly the deserter Manzoor Ahmed whose aim is to destroy our Pakistani section on behalf of the PPP top brass.

The successes of the Pakistan Marxists are well known – not only to our friends but also to our enemies. The latter have now joined in an unholy alliance in an attempt to destroy us. Should we be surprised that these elements attack the Marxists and use every conceivable dirty method to blacken our name and sabotage our revolutionary work? No, we are not surprised at all.

To attack the Marxists is the role of our class enemies. Manzoor Ahmed and his clique has no paper, no organization, no subs etc. But it has access to unlimited financial resources. It it is acting as a special cell of the ISI to counter the IMT. We expect much more brutal attacks from this source, including physical attacks from them in future. Already Manzoor has been responsible for getting the police to beat up and arrest our comrades.

We expect this kind of thing, and we know how to combat it. But what are we to say about self-styled “Leftists” in London and Stockholm who spend all their time pouring dirt over the Marxist tendency and spreading and magnifying the lies and slanders manufactured by the bourgeois state and its hired mercenaries?

It has come to our attention that certain former members of the IMT have been deliberately spreading dirt against the IMT and the Pakistani comrades internationally. Using the hypocritical pretence of “informing members of the IMT of what has been going on”, they are, in fact, actively participating in a dirty campaign of disinformation that has been hatched in Islamabad by the renegade ex-Leftist Manzoor Ahmed.
People who leave the Marxist Tendency who have no principled agreement on anything, form a bloc to throw filth at the organization to which they used to belong in the hope that a little will stick. Lacking any trace of principles or anything resembling a theoretical level, they are compelled to sink to the level of the sewer, where they can swim quite happily in their natural element.
These “Facebook heroes” are really insignificant people who are incapable of building anything, but are quite expert in destroying what others have built. These individuals represent nothing and nobody themselves. They would be not worth mentioning, were it not for the fact that they have become a faithful echo of the most reactionary wing of the PPP leadership, that wing, represented by Manzoor Ahmed who has stabbed the workers in the back and are pushing Zardari’s privatization plans.
It is important that everybody knows the real source of these attacks, who is behind them and what ends they are pursuing. But these attacks will never succeed. Our firmness in defence of our Marxist ideas, our unflinching dedication to the cause of revolutionary socialism is stronger than ever. The attacks of our enemies only serve to make it even stronger.

This is not the first smear campaign against us, nor will it be the last. We condemn all these baseless allegations and appeal to our comrades in other sections to have complete faith in the comrades of the Pakistani section who are risking not only their lives but also of their families for a socialist victory in Pakistan and South Asia.

We protest indignantly against these vicious attacks and slanders, and emphatically condemn those who are continually putting false rumours in circulation for their own sectarian and splitting purposes.

No more lies!
No more provocations!
Defend the Pakistan Marxists!
Irreconcilable struggle till Socialism!
Lahore, 20 Feb. 2012
Postscript
In order to put the record straight we have made this statement. We undertook this distasteful task without enthusiasm. We are sure that any honest worker in Europe will be clear as to what this is all about. In Pakistan it was clear long ago.
As for our enemies, we are under no illusions that will try to continue their attacks and provocations against the Marxist Tendency. But we have no intention of responding to any further lies and slanders. We refuse to waste a single moment more on this disgusting trivia.
Carry on with your calumnies, gentlemen! As far as we are concerned, they will henceforth be met with silence and the contempt they deserve. We have no time to waste in futile wrangling with sectarians. We have urgent work to do building the revolutionary movement in Pakistan and the rest of the Subcontinent."

[KarlMarx.net]

The mode of response from the IMT is that of a Cult and the reply is clearly the handiwork of Alan Woods and the international leadership of the IMT. It was not written in Lahore but in London.

The basic method is to claim that the circulation of ‘gang rape’ allegations by recently expelled comrades of the IMT in Pakistan is a plot orchestrated by the Pakistani state because the IMT are reaching such a pinnacle of influence that they had to be stopped. Apparently anyone who criticises the way the IMT operates is in the pay of someone. Zardari, ISI, CIA or Emmanuel Goldstein.

In addition, anyone outside of Pakistan who criticises the IMT's Pakistani leadership for their drunken outrages is living a cosy-life unable to comprehend the incredible hardships in Pakistan, this is like the line Oxfam takes when getting you to give money by showing a crying emaciated child.

When Alan Woods and his cult make claims against others these are of course 'fact'!. For example, at the International Executive Committee of the IMT in March 2010 Lal Khan claimed that Heiko Khoo had killed a Pakistani comrade. And Alan Woods claimed that Razi (leader of the IMT's Iranian section at the time) was an agent of the Iranian state.
(see karlmarx.net)
Comrade Woods does not appear to know how to distinguish between assertion and evidence.

The claim that Manzoor is in the pay of Zardari is a similarly stupid assertion made on the basis that Pakistan is corrupt, therefore Manzoor is corrupt, if the IMT says so. After more than 3 years of claiming Manzoor is a corrupt agent of the Pakistani state not one single shred of evidence has ever been presented to back this up!

Instead Woods insinuates that because Pakistan is a corrupt society and Zardari is corrupt therefore Manzoor must be corrupt! The small fact that Venezuela is just as corrupt as Pakistan seems to elude the awareness of our hero, Alan Woods.

Now to the refutation of the claims.

Mr Woods, Grand Defender of the struggle of the oppressed women of Pakistan claims that: "I have in my possession three signed statement saying it did not happen"

Now what awareness does this show of Pakistani reality? Or even of the original statements?

In the original statement (see karlmarx.net) they are explicit that there was a campaign by the leadership to cover up the event. It is stated that the‘incident’ was mentioned by comrade Amjad Laakhair at the meeting the next day. Clearly the audio recordings of the meeting can confirm or refute this. But did comrade Woods ask for a copy of the recordings? No! Did he ask anyone outside of the leadership what happened? Did he write to the comrades making the accusations? Hear their views? Ask for their statements? No! Even though Xulfi and Zafar are supposed to be able to appeal to the World Congress against their expulsion and therefore are capable of discussing this issues with the leadership of the IMT. The IMT leaders never even attempted to discuss with these comrades or hear their claims.

The attempt to link in Manzoor with the issue and claim western collaborators of Tanit are conspiring to bring down the IMT is laughable. Both Zafar Imam and Xulfi Marxist are loyalists of the IMT who supported and actively participated in Manzoor’s expulsion and defended the IMT against TANIT and the Revolutionary Struggle group. Xulfi remains particularly hostile towards myself even now.

So what does the defence by the IMT's great leader Alan Woods consist of? Even though pretending to be the leader of the Pakistani section of the IMT, Lal Khan.

It is that Lal Khan has told me that it not true. And if he has coerced a couple of people to write "statements" backing this up all the better, as this should should calm any disquiet in the ranks of the IMT. In fact Woods thinks that if he writes a tirade about being under sustained attack from the international capitalist secret services (by email) this should even act as a new test of loyalty for IMT comrades, who can ignore the gaps in his defence. Indeed for any IMT comrade to ask any further questions will certainly place that comrade under suspicion of collaboration with Goldstein.

Oh and if there was anyone bothered about what happened (but didn't happen at all actually!) then they should have raised the issue before now. This is really too late, we have a world revolution to lead!

[KarlMarx.net]

On leftist spotters someone pointed to the following

> but the dosier talked of Amjad Lakheer: "Finally, the "report" talks of Amjad
Lakheer mentioning the so-called gang rape the day after in the plenary session.
This is also false. In fact, this comrade was not even present in that school.
We have a signed statement by him confirming this."
>
> Cesc


The IMT dossier, does claim to have a number of statements all of which are
supposed to confirm that nothing ever happened and that it is all the invention
of Xulfi Marxist.

Xulfi and others claim to have made these allegations over a long period inside
the IMT and were very reluctant to reveal these allegations to non IMT members
until recently.

Comrades like Manzoor from Revolutionary Struggle played no role whatsoever in
publicising these issues. In fact Zafar Imam and Xulfi were people who
campaigned against Manzoor and were very much in favour of his explulsion from
the IMT in 2008.

As to whether Amjad Lakheer was at the school or not should be verifiable by
audio recordings of the meeting, if such exist.

I have seen other IMT comrades from Pakistan confirm statements by Xulfi and
Zafar as to the incident. You can check on his facebook page and communicate
with him to confirm.
facebook.com!/xaphor.emam

Xulfi claimed that the rape was almost universally known about in the
IMT's Karachi school, either this is fact or false. What method was
used to verify this? Was Xulfi asked? Zafar? Or anyone else who made the
allegations? If someone makes allegations of such a nature surely they should be
asked for their evidence? As they were only recently expelled and apparently for
'non payment of subs' why could the IMT leadership not ask them?

Instead of this precisely the people accused of the crimes (leading members of
the Pakistani section of the IMT) were the people who were made responsible to
refute the charges.

What method did they use to investigate? Cross questioning independent control
commission? Outside investigation? No we are told that there never was anything
to investigate.

Yet I have received email correspondence from two US members of the IMT claiming
that

1. the matter was investigated some time ago. Darick Engel alias Leon T on
revleft Where he said the "The leadership of the IMT were
and have been all over this since the allegations were made, and made several
trips to Pakistan to see for themselves." Oh but I thought they only just found
out about this entirely invented charge?

2. I was informed by a National Committee member of the US section of the IMT
that they had a comrade in Pakistan investigating the issues two weeks ago. But
what is there to investigate if nothing ever happened?

The IMT statement tries to slander anyone and everyone who is not a
loyal defender of the "this is an ISI plot" line, Xulfi and Rashid
can't be believed because "they are declassed elements" Dr Harish
can't be believed because he works in a mental hospital, so by
implication is also mad.

[johnTh]

"I have seen other IMT comrades from Pakistan confirm statements by Xulfi and
Zafar as to the incident. You can check on his facebook page and communicate
with him to confirm.
facebook.com!/xaphor.emam"

Anyone who checks this FB page will realise that this is the FB profile of .... Zafar Imam! The person who authored the document containing the allegations of gang rape. You say "other comrades from Pakistan".

[johnTh]

After the IMT dossier destroyed all of the so-called witnesses of the gang-rape, now, Jonathan Clyne, main leader and bank-roller of TANIT is caught lying about another, related, incident that happened 25 years ago, see "Reply to Jonathan Clyne by former CWI control commission member" on karlmarx.net website, and Jonathan has to admit that he was telling porkies and thought he would not be caught: "Reply to Brigitte (from Jonathan Clyne)" on the same karlmarx.net site

I mean, seriously!

[A Marxist Historian]

The mode of response from the IMT is that of a Cult and the reply is clearly the handiwork of Alan Woods and the international leadership of the IMT. It was not written in Lahore but in London.

The basic method is to claim that the circulation of ‘gang rape’ allegations by recently expelled comrades of the IMT in Pakistan is a plot orchestrated by the Pakistani state because the IMT are reaching such a pinnacle of influence that they had to be stopped. Apparently anyone who criticises the way the IMT operates is in the pay of someone. Zardari, ISI, CIA or Emmanuel Goldstein.

In addition, anyone outside of Pakistan who criticises the IMT's Pakistani leadership for their drunken outrages is living a cosy-life unable to comprehend the incredible hardships in Pakistan, this is like the line Oxfam takes when getting you to give money by showing a crying emaciated child.

When Alan Woods and his cult make claims against others these are of course 'fact'!. For example, at the International Executive Committee of the IMT in March 2010 Lal Khan claimed that Heiko Khoo had killed a Pakistani comrade. And Alan Woods claimed that Razi (leader of the IMT's Iranian section at the time) was an agent of the Iranian state.
(see karlmarx.net)
Comrade Woods does not appear to know how to distinguish between assertion and evidence.

The claim that Manzoor is in the pay of Zardari is a similarly stupid assertion made on the basis that Pakistan is corrupt, therefore Manzoor is corrupt, if the IMT says so. After more than 3 years of claiming Manzoor is a corrupt agent of the Pakistani state not one single shred of evidence has ever been presented to back this up!

Instead Woods insinuates that because Pakistan is a corrupt society and Zardari is corrupt therefore Manzoor must be corrupt! The small fact that Venezuela is just as corrupt as Pakistan seems to elude the awareness of our hero, Alan Woods.

Now to the refutation of the claims.

Mr Woods, Grand Defender of the struggle of the oppressed women of Pakistan claims that: "I have in my possession three signed statement saying it did not happen"

Now what awareness does this show of Pakistani reality? Or even of the original statements?

In the original statement (see karlmarx.net) they are explicit that there was a campaign by the leadership to cover up the event. It is stated that the‘incident’ was mentioned by comrade Amjad Laakhair at the meeting the next day. Clearly the audio recordings of the meeting can confirm or refute this. But did comrade Woods ask for a copy of the recordings? No! Did he ask anyone outside of the leadership what happened? Did he write to the comrades making the accusations? Hear their views? Ask for their statements? No! Even though Xulfi and Zafar are supposed to be able to appeal to the World Congress against their expulsion and therefore are capable of discussing this issues with the leadership of the IMT. The IMT leaders never even attempted to discuss with these comrades or hear their claims.

The attempt to link in Manzoor with the issue and claim western collaborators of Tanit are conspiring to bring down the IMT is laughable. Both Zafar Imam and Xulfi Marxist are loyalists of the IMT who supported and actively participated in Manzoor’s expulsion and defended the IMT against TANIT and the Revolutionary Struggle group. Xulfi remains particularly hostile towards myself even now.

So what does the defence by the IMT's great leader Alan Woods consist of? Even though pretending to be the leader of the Pakistani section of the IMT, Lal Khan.

It is that Lal Khan has told me that it not true. And if he has coerced a couple of people to write "statements" backing this up all the better, as this should should calm any disquiet in the ranks of the IMT. In fact Woods thinks that if he writes a tirade about being under sustained attack from the international capitalist secret services (by email) this should even act as a new test of loyalty for IMT comrades, who can ignore the gaps in his defence. Indeed for any IMT comrade to ask any further questions will certainly place that comrade under suspicion of collaboration with Goldstein.

Oh and if there was anyone bothered about what happened (but didn't happen at all actually!) then they should have raised the issue before now. This is really too late, we have a world revolution to lead!

I have to say that this is not a serious response.

We have two very different versions as to what went down, and at this moment, to my surprise I must say, the CWI version is sounding more credible that that of the accusers, with solider evidence and eyewitness statements backing it up.

The Karlmarx.net response to the CWI statement seems to be largely made up of distracting irrelevancies.

This really does need investigation by outsiders, neither CWI nor TANIT, to find the truth of the matter, given the extreme seriousness of the allegations. But at this point, just judging by the postings here on Revleft, I'd have to say that the accusations are looking questionable.

-M.H.-

[Q]

I have to say that this is not a serious response.

We have two very different versions as to what went down, and at this moment, to my surprise I must say, the CWI version is sounding more credible that that of the accusers, with solider evidence and eyewitness statements backing it up.

The Karlmarx.net response to the CWI statement seems to be largely made up of distracting irrelevancies.

This really does need investigation by outsiders, neither CWI nor TANIT, to find the truth of the matter, given the extreme seriousness of the allegations. But at this point, just judging by the postings here on Revleft, I'd have to say that the accusations are looking questionable.

-M.H.-

In what way is the CWI involved in this matter?

Mindfart?

[Martin Blank]

In what way is the CWI involved in this matter?

Mindfart?

I was going to mention the same thing. I think it's pretty obvious, though, that he meant the IMT, not the CWI.

[KarlMarx.net]

It is true that the accusations do look questionable because:

The IMT claim to have three witness statements including the supposed victim and two of the witnesses.

If the original accusations are true there are three possible reasons for this.

1. The IMT are lying
2. The witnesses are under duress.
3. Or both of the above.

Answer 3. is the most likely.

[A Marxist Historian]

In what way is the CWI involved in this matter?

Mindfart?

Yup. I meant IMT not CWI. Sorry!

-M.H.-

[A Marxist Historian]

It is true that the accusations do look questionable because:

The IMT claim to have three witness statements including the supposed victim and two of the witnesses.

If the original accusations are true there are three possible reasons for this.

1. The IMT are lying
2. The witnesses are under duress.
3. Or both of the above.

Answer 3. is the most likely.

Ah, but that is the big if.

At this point, until some further evidentiary backing can be provided for the accusations, it is going to be hard for outsiders to believe these accusations at this point.

-M.H.-

[johnTh]

Heiko Khoo says (I assume he is Heiko, as he is the owned of Karlmarx.net) says:

"Originally Posted by KarlMarx.net
It is true that the accusations do look questionable because:

The IMT claim to have three witness statements including the supposed victim and two of the witnesses.

If the original accusations are true there are three possible reasons for this.

1. The IMT are lying
2. The witnesses are under duress.
3. Or both of the above.

Answer 3. is the most likely."

I also have a couple of multiple choice questions:

If the original accusations are false there are three possible reasons for this:

1. The accusers are lying out of spite
2. The accusers greatly exaggerated something that actually happened
3. The accusers made up the statements from the "witnesses"
4. All of the above

I think 4 is most likely. This is also corroborated by a Pakistani comrade (not a member of the IMT section there) who claims that the whole incident was about "a bunch of drunk comrades knocking on the door of a female comrade". Reprehensible behaviour but not gang rape.

The other multiple choice I have is the following:

Why did TANIT and Heiko Khoo decide to spread these allegations against the IMT without doing any further checking:

1. Out of spite for the IMT
2. To damage the reputation of the IMT
3. Because they are agents of the Pakistani secret service
4. Because they have nothing better to do and nothing unites them other than a common hatred of the IMT
5. Out of concern for the alleged victim.

I think that 1,2 and 4 would apply to Heiko Khoo and TANIT, while 5 might apply to some individual TANIT members

And finally:

Why did Jonathan Clyne make up a story about rape in the CWI 25 years ago?

1. Because he thought nobodoy would check and he could get away with it
2. In order to back up his argument regarding the IMT Pakistan case, without any regard for the facts
3. To deliberately damage the CWI

I think 1 and 2 apply.

[KarlMarx.net]

@font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } The IMT dossier claims that:

"The comrade was completely surprised when she heard about this story.
She indignantly denies that any part of this atrocious tale is true."

i.e that she heard of it only a few days before she wrote her statement dated 18th Feb 2012.

And we are told that she claims
“The story of gang rape is totally manufactured by enemies of IMT."

There are two issues here.

1. The story surfaced in the public domain not from enemies of the IMT, but from IMT members (Zafar Imam and Xulfi Marxist) upon their explusion from the Pakistani section.

They posted about their explusion and the gang rape on facebook on 24th January 2012. They protested their explusion and requested that the International Leadership of the IMT intervene.

The facebook post of that day is on Zafar's facebook and was posted in relation to a meeting of expelled and resigning comrades. The discussion thread clearly shows that the comrades from TANIT made contact with these comrades only after they already made these allegations.

But even then on January 25th on the same thread Zafar posted:

"All I want is: IMT's international leadership must take notice and correct the direction of its Pakistani section. If it fails to do so, if it fails to listen to grievances of its comrades, it will be accountable to history. and history knows how to take revenges from such pockets."

2. The IMT are claiming that neither the alleged victim and nor-anyone else in the IMT's Pakistani section knew of these allegations before these IMT comrades "manufactured" the allegations upon their expulsion.

I have received a statement from a Pakistani comrade outside of the IMT. This comrade first heard of the allegations from people who left the IMT in May 2011.

And it states that shortly after this date,

"I met one of the witnesses Tahir Baig in a meeting and he personally told
me the details of the incident as he was present there. He said that he was
sleeping that night but next day when he woke up, he heard from other
people that a female comrade is being raped. He went to see her and she was weeping bitterly. According to him, everyone present in the school was
aware of it and it became a big issue there. He resigned from the IMT after
that incident. Therefore, i seriously doubt that the denial statement
mentioned under his name in the IMT's reply is true, although i have not
confirmed it from him. I think it is written by IMT. I must say that I met
this person only once and i did not raise the issue of rape, he was the one
who told me while talking against IMT in general and his tone was extremely
indignant and full of detest about IMT."

[johnTh]

There are two issues here.

1. The story surfaced in the public domain not from enemies of the IMT, but from IMT members (Zafar Imam and Xulfi Marxist) upon their explusion from the Pakistani section.



For the expulsion of Zafar Imam and Xulfi Marxist we only have one side of the story. According to their own account they were expelled on December 28th. By January 25, which seems to be the first time they mentioned the "gang rape" allegation, they were no longer IMT members and they were pretty pissed off at having been undemocratically and bureaucratically expelled

I just read their statement regarding the expulsions for the first time and found this little gem: Xulfi complains because the reason given for his expulsion is “because comrades were in-active.” And then Xulfi had this to say about himself:

"Comrade Xulfi has been working in organization from last 7 years on
different responsibilities. Recently, he has transformed his role
according to global social networking trend, and started to gain
contacts from different parts of world for recruitment in IMT. Comrade
Xulfi is no unknown figure for all those comrades who usually use
Facebook. He has about 3 to 4 thousand contacts"

He has transformed his role :-)


They posted about their explusion and the gang rape on facebook on 24th January 2012. They protested their explusion and requested that the International Leadership of the IMT intervene.


Asking the International Leadership of the IMT to intervene <i>through Facebook</i> seems a bit strange. The question is, had they made these allegations of gang rape before? Had they contacted the IMT Leadership regarding these gang rape allegations before? Or did they decide to make the allegations AFTER they had been expelled and to make them PUBLICLY. Even at this time, from what one can see in their FB profiles, they gave no details, no "witness statements", nothing, just a very vague reference to gang rape. They only produced the full report and "witness statements" AFTER TANIT members pressed them to do so.


I have received a statement from a Pakistani comrade outside of the IMT. This comrade first heard of the allegations from people who left the IMT in May 2011.

Can we see this statement? Who is this "Pakistani comrade"? Does it carry the same weight as the mysterious case of Jonathan Clyne's memory? (see relevant documents on karlmarx dot net )




"I met one of the witnesses Tahir Baig in a meeting and he personally told
me the details of the incident as he was present there. He said that he was
sleeping that night but next day when he woke up, he heard from other
people that a female comrade is being raped. He went to see her and she was weeping bitterly. According to him, everyone present in the school was
aware of it and it became a big issue there. He resigned from the IMT after
that incident. Therefore, i seriously doubt that the denial statement
mentioned under his name in the IMT's reply is true, although i have not
confirmed it from him. I think it is written by IMT. I must say that I met
this person only once and i did not raise the issue of rape, he was the one
who told me while talking against IMT in general and his tone was extremely
indignant and full of detest about IMT."

So this mysterious "Pakistani comrade" who has no name or even initials, no way to identify him or check the veracity of this statement, talked ONCE with Tahir Baig, who DID NOT WITNESS any incident but HEARD something the day after. The unnamed "Pakistani comrade" conjured by Heiko Khoo NOW (in March 2012) remembers something which was said to him in 2011 about GANG RAPE in an event of the IMT, but which he, at that time, presumably, decided to dismiss and didn't mention to anyone (otherwise TANIT would have heard and it would have been published on karlmarx.net and all possible internet forums).

On the other hand the IMT dossier contains what claims to be a statement from this Tahir Baig denying it: "It is pointed out that my name is badly used as witness in the bogus story of "rape case" in the Marxist school at Hox Bay Karachi on 4/12/10, which [is] launched by ex angry member of The Struggle
comrade Rashid Lughari. Moreover, I left behind all political activities of The Struggle as a past stories... it is request to all comrades of the IMT Pakistan section: please don't believe on such bogus references.
“With best wishes Tahir Biag" "

Was this extracted under duress? Tahir Biag, by everybody's account is no longer a member of the IMT. Was it completely made up by the IMT? This would be dangerous, as surely this person can be contacted. TANIT should know about the dangers of making up stories about the past ... you can be caught, as happened to Jonathan Clyne!

[KarlMarx.net]

The comrade who has written to me from Pakistan claims categorically that he spoke to Tahir who is a witnesses cited in both the accusation and the IMT dossier.

If true, it means that the IMT have either completely invented the statement from Tahir, or extracted it from him by some foul means. Unless Tahir's statement is provided in a signed form by the IMT, we cannot know. They are the ones who claimed to have signed statements. Should we not assume that they claimed this because they can provide them, so they can be verified?
I asked the IMT leadership to do this many days ago...silence.

THE IMPORTANCE OF TIMING
The IMT dossier claims the allegations were invented AFTER the explusion of Xulfi and Zafar i.e. after Jan 24th 2012 and that they had never heard of these allegations BEFORE. But my witness spoke with Tahir about the allegations in the spring/summer of 2011.

Indeed an earlier IMT troll who participated in this discussions thread and was banned also claimed the allegations had been dealt with earlier.
I quote <<The leadership of the IMT were and have been all over this since the allegations were made, and made several trips to Pakistan to see for themselves.”>>

But how could they have done this if the story was invented in January 2012 as the dossier claims? And the alleged victim "was completely surprised when she heard about this story." (IMT Dossier)

Indeed the reason I am sure the IMT’s story will unravel is precisely because evidence that ANYONE EVEN HEARD of the incident before January 2012 is proof that the IMT dossier is a fraud. This would not prove there was a rape, which as I have said before is probably impossible to prove, but, ANY proof that there was such an ALLEGATION circulating within the IMT ranks in Pakistan before January 24th 2012, will show that the entire IMT dossier is a fraud.

I do not intend to name this person at present as their name is irrelevant. They do not claim to have witnessed anything -just that Tahir told them he witnessed something. But if I wanted to invent statements I could have done so at any time prior to this, so the balance of rationality will tell you that I have not invented this.

Indeed perhaps the IMT troll, who is actually an IMT comrade in the USA, can explain why he said that the IMT <<were all over this since the allegations were made and made several trips to Pakistan to see for themselves.>>

This is evidence that the IMT knew of the allegations a long time ago and are slandering those who made them public.

The IMT claimed that original witness statement allegations are lies because they were "UNSIGNED". Therefore the signed statement from Tahir Biag is one of the best pieces of evidence the IMT could provide, better still, would be a short video statement so people can verify it is him.

It should be quite clear to anyone who knows anything about Pakistan that signed statements by the female concerned and the alleged female witness are far more likely to be shaped by the incredibly reactionary patriarchal environment in Pakistan. (even within Marxist groups) I am certainly not interested in asking any female comrades in Pakistan to make any statements on this matter.

[johnTh]

Heiko Khoo and TANIT seem to have two very different standards for veracity. If someone makes an unsigned allegation that a gang rape took place at an IMT meeting in Pakistan and the whole thing was covered up they do not check up the facts ... they publish them widely.

If the IMT produces a dossier in which the main "witnesses" of this alleged incident say they never made any statements and that the allegations are false ... then VIDEO evidence is required NO LESS (a signed letter will not suffice)! I suppose that if video statements were to be produced then they would demand a full independent analysis of the tape in case it had been tampered.

Let's recap. The allegations which TANIT circulated and published were not signed by anyone ("comrades from here and there" is not specific at all). Heiko then said that TANIT received them from Zafar Imam. The IMT dossier says that Zafar Imam was not present at the Marxist School as he was attending a wedding reception.

The allegations document mentions three witnesses to back up the claims. One is a female comrade who is alleged was so disgusted that she left the organisation. The IMT claims to have a signed statement from her saying she did not give any statements to anyone and that the allegations are false. This is not enough, says Heiko, as she would have been coerced. BUT there is a small detail, she says she NEVER left the IMT. A clear contradiction with the allegations document, and one that is easy to check and therefore not in the interest of the IMT to falsify.

There is one line in her statement which is worth quoting: "When I saw my statement in e-mail I was completely shocked that how Zafar can wrote that statement about me without asking me?" This is a good question.

Please note that Heiko says that a statement by a woman is worth nothing. This is scandalous but completely in line with the reactionary judicial system in Pakistan where the statement of a woman is worth only half that of a man. Also, note that when a women is cited as having witnessed an alleged gang rape which took place at an IMT school, Heiko and TANIT accept the statement as valid (even though there is no signature to it), and when she says it is false, then her statement is worthless.

Then there is Tahir, who is said in the allegations document, was so disgusted he left the IMT. The IMT claims to have a statement from him in which he denies having made any statements to anyone and denies that the allegations are true. He is no longer in the IMT, so how can the IMT have obtained this statement under duress? By some foul means says Heiko, we want a VIDEO statement! Did he ask for such things regarding the alleged statement by Tahir in the original allegations document? NO.

Incidentally, now we learn from Heiko and his mysterious and unnamed "Pakistani comrade" that Tahir did not actually witness anything, but "heard" about something the day after. Why is the "Pakistani comrade" unnamed? So that no-one can check?

Then there is the case of Amjeed. The allegations document says he did not witness the incident but mentioned it the day after in the session at the school. The IMT claims to have a signed statement by him saying he was not even present at that school!! He is a man, and therefore his testimony must be admitted, according to Heiko's standards. Was he there or was he not there? Why would the IMT make such thing up. It would suffice for them to say that he did not say such a thing in the plenary.

As if all this was not enough, the IMT dossier claims that at least two other details in the allegations are also false: that the IMT did not lose control of the leadership of the JKNSF, and that the Gulab Lagari area of the organisation did not disband itself.

All this does not make the people making the allegations look very good.

The there is the case of Jonathan Clyne, TANIT's main leading comrade. In order to justify the publication of this unsubstantiated allegations, he mentions a case which happened in the CWI 25 years ago. He says that a South African comrade was accused of raping a Swedish comrade and suspended for two years as a result. Ah! but now, a member of the control commission of the CWI which investigated those allegations says that this is not true. That he was found guilty of anything after investigation and that HE WAS NOT SUSPENDED! Now, one can argue about the merits of the investigation or the merits of having a control commission. One can argue, like Jonathan Clyne that the bourgeois justice system also has lots of elements of fairness and is better than a control commission of a revolutionary organisation. But the fact is that the South African comrade was NOT suspended, and therefore Jonathan made a false statement.

Before Heiko Khoo says that the woman in the CWI control commission was "under duress" from the IMT to make such statement, she is not a member of the IMT, in fact it is claimed that she was briefly a member of TANIT!

None of this means anything to Heiko who knows the truth and will not allow a few inconsistencies, signed statements and facts get in the way.

There is the question of TIMING, he says. I cannot see the relevance of this, but re-reading the IMT dossier, I cannot see any place in which it says that this is the first time these allegations have been made. The most that can be found is the following: "The comrade was completely surprised when she heard about this story. She indignantly denies that any part of this atrocious tale is true. " She was surprised when she heard about this story. This might mean that the alleged victim had not heard of these slanders before. In her statement which the IMT claims to have as a signed letter she says: "“The story of gang rape is totally manufactured by enemies of IMT. I seriously condemn this act and declare that I am enjoying revolutionary work with leading comrades in Karachi and elsewhere. I also want to declare that it is a daunting task for women here to participate in revolutionary work. It is a common practice here to spread rumours and scandalize comrades.
“Enemies of revolution are using mean tactics to destroy our work. I condemn all this and vow to continue my struggle for the emancipation of working class. "

Again, I cannot see the relevance of the question of TIMING (in capitals), but even that is very shaky ground that Heiko Khoo and TANIT is standing on

[KarlMarx.net]

TIMING Let me go over this one again.

The IMT dossier claims that Xulfi “invented a non-existent incident for the purpose of blackening the name of the organization he used to belong to, because it has parted company with him.” This means he invented the story AFTER being expelled.

Indeed his credibility is disparaged in the IMT dossier because “he only began to shout about it when he was taken off the membership lists”.

This fits precisely with the claim in the dossier that. "The comrade was completely surprised when she heard about this story. She indignantly denies that any part of this atrocious tale is true. "

This confirms that in the IMT version, the 'manufactured' story originated on 24th January 2012.

Therefore if any allegation of this nature was known of before this date the entire IMT dossier must be false.

The statement posted on this thread by Leon T, (a loyal member of the IMT) refutes the IMTs dossier.

He said that the IMT leadership <<were all over this since the allegations were made and made several trips to Pakistan to see for themselves.>> How could they do this if the allegations have only just been invented?

I know the IMT leaders have great insight into the future but making trips to investigate stories that have not yet been invented this reveals is god like powers of foresight!

Maybe Leon T was simply lying.

But as I said, I know for a fact that these allegations were known of before January 24th, and many people in Pakistan do too. So the truth will come out.

[KarlMarx.net]

Indeed the importance of timing is actually emphasised by the IMT dossier which claims in the first paragraph that
"The launching of this campaign of slanders and fabrications is no
accident, and nor is its timing."

[KarlMarx.net]

Dear JohnTh

Zafar and Xulfi made general allegations on Jan 24th 2012, which I forwarded to the IMT leadership at an early stage on Feb 9th 2012.
They did not reply.

By what means is one to verify such matters with the IMT?
My experience tells me that the IMT leaders only respond when mass emails are sent to their members, this case verifies this.

I asked comrades in Pakistan who are outside the IMT if they knew of the alleged gang rape. One comrade replied on 11th Feb saying he knew of the allegations and gave the date of the incident (as December 2010) and the names of three people that he understood were those accused.

On 15th Feb Zafar and Xulfi sent out a detailed witness statement, this statement was the first time the date of the incident was mentioned by them. It was December 4th 2010 and the names of the accused matched those I had already been independently given. In my view this constituted pretty strong evidence that such allegations were in long term circulation within the Pakistani section of the IMT and had been ignored.

So I sent them out and published them on Karlmarx(dot)net.

Then on March 1st(?) JohnTh on this thread, posted a statement from the IMT's leadership, which claims to contain real signed witness statements. And asserted:

1. That the allegations were invented AFTER Zafar and co were expelled.

2. That this is all the work of the ISI and the Pakistani Government.

I also published this on karlmarx(dot)net

When asked for evidence to verify these "signed statements" JohnTh claims that no verification is required. Why?

When I asked a member of the International Secretariat Jordi Martorell for these statements, he did not reply.

I also asked Jordi Martorell for evidence to back up their allegations that our comrade Manzoor Ahmed is a corrupt agent of the state, again he did not reply.

Perhaps comrade JohnTh can contact Jordi Martorell and get him to reply?

[johnTh]

Dear Heiko Kho,

You have conveniently ignored ALL the points I have made, which indicates to me that you have no answers to those.

You still cling to the question of TIMING, based on what an unnamed "Pakistani comrade" told you AFTER Zafar and Xulfi made their allegations. Who is this Pakistani comrade? Why can he/she not be identified? Why did he not raise this with you a year ago when he allegedly heard about these allegations (an allegation of gang rape is very serious), did he contact anyone about it AT THE TIME?

I am still not convinced that the IMT dossier says that this is the first time allegations have been made, but as I said, to me this is not a crucial issue.

I did not say that verification is not required, I said that the IMT claims to have signed statements from all these people. I am prepared to ask them to provide those, although, as you understand, their dossier was not meant for public consumption and they might not want to publish any other bits from it either.

I will do that as soon as you ask the same from the Xulfi, Zafar and the others and get their "witness statements" in any verifiable form. Right now it seems that they are all hear say, recollections of what people who admit were not there allegedly said.

As for Manzor group, I would also be interested in any proof the IMT has about his activities. From what can be gathered by looking at the capitalist papers in Pakistan he is certainly close to the leadership of the PPP which is in power.

If you give me the contact details of Martorelli I will contact him

[Martin Blank]

This back-and-forth is going nowhere fast. Maybe it's time for someone to suggest an independent international commission of inquiry, similar to the one organized after the Healyites accused leaders of the American SWP of being agents of the FBI and KGB. I think that as long as this issue remains locked inside a tendency war, the facts will never really be known.

[El Oso Rojo]

I think the exodus of IMT supporters, from revleft, or, if we're lucky, from politics in general, will be no loss. The IMT exists to create social democrats, good little Labourites, Chávez worshippers, etc. They take radical workers or subjectively revolutionary young people to submerge them in social democratic, Stalinist, or bourgeois nationalist formations, like chavismo, never to be heard from again. The IMT is the tendency that claimed that Ehud Barak's "Labor" Party in Israel was "leftist," when, in fact, that party represented the Zionist establishment.

That the IMT can find nothing better to do than serve as Chávez' volunteer publicists and tireless cheerleaders forever, no matter what, even after Chávez repeatedly embraced the unspeakable Ahmadinejad, shows just how low the IMT had sunk, even before the appalling news about the misogynist attack in the Pakistani IMT section. It's difficult to think of another tendency whose discrediting and, one can but hope, disappearance, will be such a boon for working people.


I personally know some IMT people here in the states and one of them is a friend, and none them seem to act like that. Also I am not sure about asking them about this case.

[El Oso Rojo]

I have just talk to a comrade who is in the WIL (us imt), who told me the comrade had a conversation with him and he was just pyscho.

[Q]

I have just talk to a comrade who is in the WIL (us imt), who told me the comrade had a conversation with him and he was just pyscho.

Who is "him"?

[El Oso Rojo]

Who is "him"?

I am sorry Heiko Khoo.

[Q]

I am sorry Heiko Khoo.

So that is how the IMT replies to such issues? They're just psychos? I wonder if that mental condition already existed then when Heiko was still an esteemed member in the IMT. I guess not, ey? No, the mere fact that he left the IMT must have been a clear sign of being a mad hatter.

[Realzowi]

So that is how the IMT replies to such issues? They're just psychos? I wonder if that mental condition already existed then when Heiko was still an esteemed member in the IMT. I guess not, ey? No, the mere fact that he left the IMT must have been a clear sign of being a mad hatter.

If one member says something in private, that's the position of the international?
As in every organisation, people come and leave for different reasons. And no, they are not psychos as they leave. Heiko however was expelled, because he repeatedly broke discipline by attacking the IMT in public and sending internal correspondence to outsiders, while ignoring many requests to stop that practice.