Ehsan Ali and other leading members of the Awami Action Committee in the Pakistan-administered region of Gilgit-Baltistan have been arrested once again. The Revolutionary Communist International is running a solidarity campaign to secure the comrades’ release, starting with a global day of action on April 2. Free Ehsan Ali! Hands off the AAC!

[Originally published on Marxist.com]

This is not the first time comrades of the AAC-GB have faced repression at the hands of the state. They were subjected to a wave of arrests last year and 15 leaders spent months in jail. Following a powerful international campaign, which received support from hundreds of prominent activists, trade unionists, and politicians, we were able to secure all the AAC leaders’ release.

We freed our comrades before, we will do it again. But we need your help!

For this campaign to succeed, we need the maximum possible solidarity and pressure. We therefore invite our readers to take the following steps to lend us your support:

1. WRITE to politicians, individual trade union/student union leaders, activists, and public figures, and ask them to support our campaign! Please let us know of any responses at aacgb-solidarity@marxist.com.
2. CONTACT your Pakistani embassy/consulate/high commission, either individually or on behalf of a trade union/student union/political organization. Please let us know of any responses at aacgb-solidarity@marxist.com. You can find a model letter below.
3. PASS A MOTION in your trade union/student union and let us know at aacgb-solidarity@marxist.com. You can find a model motion text below.
4. GET IN TOUCH with your nearest RCI group and join our protests outside of Pakistani embassies, consulates, and high commissions! Help to mobilize for our first global day of action on April 2!

The situation so far (check back for updates)

On Tuesday, March 10, comrade Ehsan Ali, chairman of the Awami Action Committee Gilgit Baltistan and central leader of Inqalabi Communist Party (RCP) in Pakistan, was arrested during a nighttime raid at his home.

Several other leaders of the AAC have also been arrested, including Nusrat Hussain, Mehboob Wali, Nafees Advocate and Mehar Ali. Others are still being hunted and have been forced to go into hiding.

The AAC leaders are all charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act, along with sections 153-A and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which deal with the criminal offence of inciting violence.

What is the “justification” for these outrageous charges?

On the one hand, the regime in Pakistan is carrying out a massive energy price hike and is preemptively trying to silence dissent. The hike is partly a result of the impact of the US-Israeli imperialist war against Iran, which has thrown energy markets into disarray.

With the Iran War raging and a new conflict with Afghanistan looming, the regime is using the cover of conflict to settle scores. It employed the same strategy during the brief India-Pakistan War last year.

The war in Iran has also caused outrage amongst the masses in Pakistan who have huge sympathy for the masses in Iran and Palestine. There have been big protests against this war, starting on March 1, which have been attacked by the security forces, including in Gilgit-Baltistan, where at least 14 people were killed by the authorities and many more injured.

Before his arrest, Ehsan Ali used his platform to oppose the killing of these protesters by the state authorities and tried to warn against provocations to incite sectarian tensions. He also visited the wounded in a hospital in Gilgit.

Who is really responsible for “terrorism” and “inciting violence”?

On March 8, leaders of the Awami Action Committee in Gilgit Baltistan, including Ehsan Ali, were invited to an iftar dinner, where they condemned the killings and discussed possible AAC protests around price hikes, the Land Reform Act and other issues affecting ordinary people.

This was the impetus for the comrades’ arrest two days later.

Comrade Ehsan Ali and other leaders of AAC were presented in the anti-terrorism court in Gilgit on March 18 under very high security. Their physical remand in police custody was extended so the police can have more time for their bogus “investigation.”

Ehsan Ali, who is in his sixties, is being held in very bad conditions and his health has deteriorated. Despite orders of a judge on two separate occasions (March 11 and March 18) he was not transferred to hospital.

He eventually developed pneumonia and lost consciousness in the police station. Only then was he transferred to hospital for emergency treatment.

Protests demanding the comrades’ release have already been held across the region, including a solidarity strike by lawyers in Gilgit-Baltistan on March 16.

Ehsan Ali was brought to his delayed hearing on March 26 in an ambulance. The judge himself remarked in court that the police case is unjust and meeting at an iftar dinner is not even a simple crime, let alone terrorist activity.

Despite Ehsan Ali’s lawyers submitting a request for bail, the judge (under pressure from the authorities) extended police custody until April 9. Usually the physical remand in police custody is maximum 14 days but due to new legislation this can extend to 90 days in terrorism cases.

Update (03/30/26)

A shocking account has emerged from Gilgit-Baltistan. Amara Sattar, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Danyor, Gilgit Circle, was informed about Ehsan Ali’s critical health condition. She was told a court order demanded he be taken to hospital. Her response:

Leave it, there are orders from above (meaning military intelligence)… let him die.

This outrageous admission demonstrates the urgency of our campaign, which is quite literally a matter of life or death. The judiciary and so-called “rule of law” are a mockery, because the judges are puppeted by the generals from behind the scenes. These gangsters are hoping that Ehsan Ali perishes in jail: nothing short of state-sanctioned murder for the “crime” of standing up for workers and the poor.

This is the situation faced by the Awami Action Committee comrades, and all the people living at the mercy of Pakistan’s criminal regime, while the generals and capitalist fatcats loot the country and terrorize the masses with impunity.

We appeal once again for all of our comrades, readers and supporters to join us on Thursday, April 2, for our international day of action, where we will assemble outside Pakistan’s diplomatic missions all over the world and say with one voice: Free Ehsan Ali! Hands off the AAC!

Background information and our previous campaign

Gilgit-Baltistan is an administrative region of Pakistan. Corruption, exploitation, and theft have left it in an extreme state of poverty and underdevelopment, although the territory is abundant in natural resources, particularly mineral wealth and water.

The administrative regime continually loots Gilgit-Baltistan on behalf of its masters in Islamabad. Locals are deprived of their livelihoods and lands, and the vibrant local ecosystem has been wrecked.

Ehsan Ali (from the RCP) set up an Awami Action Committee (a form of community defense organization) in Gilgit Baltistan in 2014.

The AAC-GB has fought tirelessly on behalf of ordinary people for over a decade, campaigning for democratic rights, for the maintenance of subsidies on essential goods like wheat flour and for the provision of basic health and education facilities for the people of the region.

The AAC-GB has also resisted the environmental destruction inflicted on the territory through intense capitalist exploitation.

The state retaliated, first by placing Ehsan Ali on the infamous “Fourth Schedule,” an anti-terrorism measure that severely limited his freedom of movement.

Then, on May 15, 2025, a wave of arrests was launched targeting leaders of the AAC-GB with the intention of decapitating the organization. In total, 15 people were taken into custody and tried under anti-terror laws, meaning they were denied bail.

Supporters of the AAC in Gilgit-Baltistan rallied to demand the detainees’ release. They held huge rallies and sit-ins in the territory, many of them led by women. The RCP also organized major protests all across Pakistan, as well as in occupied Kashmir. The state responded with arrests, torture, threats and by whipping up religious sectarianism.

The RCI spearheaded a global solidarity campaign in which comrades sent hundreds of letters of protest, made endless phone calls, and staged repeated rallies outside Pakistani diplomatic missions all over the world.

Our campaign was endorsed by campaign groups, leading activists, politicians, and trade unions organizing millions of workers all over the world including Amazon Labor Union leader Chris Smalls, former Seattle City Councilor Kshama Sawant, and prominent academic Slavoj Žižek. We also received the backing of unions and organizations representing millions of workers.

Finally, after almost three months of protest, all political prisoners from AAC-GB were released on bail.

This was a concrete demonstration of the power of international working-class solidarity, which we intend to mobilise once more to ensure the comrades’ release.

We will not rest until all of the AAC-GB leaders are freed and the repression against them brought to an end.

We say: the bosses and generals are the real terrorists!

Free Ehsan Ali! Hands off the AAC!

Prominent campaign supporters (individuals and groups)

International organisations

Revolutionary Communist International

Genocide Watch

DSA International Committee

Revolutionary Workers

Austria

Selma Schacht, Chamber of Labour Councillor

Nadir Aykut, Chamber of Labour Councillor

Elisabeth Sahan, Chamber of Labour Councillor

Sarah Ott, works council member at LOK

Martin Gutlederer, Staff Representative – Ottakring Clinic; Delegate to the Younion State Conference

Lisa Auer, Staff Representative – Ottakring Clinic; Delegate to the Younion State Conference

Paul Höllhumer, Staff Representative – Ottakring Clinic

Johannes Wölflingseder, Chairman of the Works Council – BHS Vienna; Chairman of Region 1 Vida Vienna

Patrick Kaiser, Staff Representative – Floridsdorf Clinic; State Chairman of GLB Vienna

Zenon Khayat, Works Council Member at Thalia Vienna

Martin Zuba, Works Council Member at Gesundheit Österreich GmbH

Markus Haunschmid, staff representative of the compulsory school sector in the Vienna West 4 departmental committee

Kommunistische Gewerkschaftsinitiative (KOMintern)

Kommunistische Jugend Österreich (KJÖ)

Belgium

Roland Vanderbeke, ACOD Oostende

Yves Brusseel, former chairperson of ACOD VDAB

Abdellah, militant of Socialist Metal Workers Union

Paulette Vermeersch, ACOD Council Workers Union of Antwerpen

Hilde Willaert, chairperson, socialist teachers union Oost-Vlaanderen

André Gonsalis, former chairman socialist public service union Veurne

Brazil

Glauber Braga, MP for PSOL

Organização Comunista Internacionalista

Union of Municipal Employees of Joinville-SC

Water and Sewage workers of Joinville

Univille Students’ Union

Ivan Pinheiro – communist activist, former general secretary of the PCB

Plínio de Arruda Sampaio Jr. – Communist and economist specialising in development and economic education in Brazil

Fernanda Melchionna, federal deputy for PSOL Rio Grande do Sul

Sâmia Bomfim, federal deputy for PSOL São Paulo

Vivi Reis, councilwoman and former federal deputy for PSOL Pará

Luciana Genro, state deputy and President of the Lauro Campos and Marielle Franco Foundation, PSOL Rio Grande do Sul

Josemar Carvalho, state deputy for PSOL, Rio de Janeiro

Mônica Seixas, state deputy for PSOL São Paulo

Camila Valadão, state deputy for PSOL ES

Fabio Felix, district deputy for PSOL DF

Roberto Robaina, council member for PSOL Porto Alegre

Luana Alves, council member for PSOL São Paulo

Mariana Conti, councilwoman for PSOL Campinas

Jurandir Silva, councilman for PSOL Pelotas

Mariana Riscali, Secretary of Institutional Relations of PSOL- Lauro Campos Foundation

Israel Dutra, Secretary of Social Movements of PSOL

Leandro Recife, National Directorate of PSOL

Zeneide Lima, National Executive of PSOL

Diolinda Souza, National Leader of the Peasant Struggle

Danilo Serafim, SEPE RJ / TLS – Trade Union Tendency

Frederico Henrique, TLS – Trade Union Tendency

Etevaldo Teixeira e, TLS – Trade Union Tendency

Camila Souza, Movimento Juntos! Editora Revista Movimento

João Pedro de Paula, Director of UNE- National Union of Students

Pedro Fuentes, leader of MES/PSOL

Bruno Magalhães, National Coordinator of Rede Emancipa

Gabi Tolloti, State President of PSOL- RS

Sandro Pimentel, State President of PSOL RN

Giulia Tadini, State President of PSOL DF

Reynaldo Costa, President of PSOL Maranhão and MST activist

Claudemir Novais, National Coordinator of MPL

Jonas “Beto” Conceição, National Coordinator of MPL

Julio Pontes, President of PSOL Natal

Karol Chaves, President of PSOL Palmas (TO)

Renata Moara, Director of UNE

Max Costa, Secretary-General of PSOL/PA

Karol Ribeiro, General Coordinator of Sindtifes/PA

Márcio Pinto, President of PSOL/Santarém and State Coordinator of Sintepp

Heloíse Rocha, State Coordinator of Sintepp

Silvia Giese, Executive of PSOL/Belém

Gabriel Feltrin, President of PSOL Curitiba

Tonhão Broder, Metalworkers’ Union of Campinas

Paulo Neves, Leader of APEOESP

Committee Against the Privatisation of CPTM (São Paulo train company)

Adilson Mariano, teacher in Santa Catarina and former councillor in the city of Joinville-SC

Union of Education Workers In the public education network of Santa Catarina (SINTE/SC) – Joinville Regional

Roberta Zimmer César, President of the Florianópolis Municipal Public Service Workers’ Union.

Rodrigo Teixeira, President of the Biguaçu Municipal Government Workers’ Union

Marlete Gonzaga, President of the Santa Catarina State Public Service Workers’ Union

Congress of the Curitiba Municipal Teachers’ Union

Centro Dos Direitos Humanos De Joinville Maria Da Graça Bráz, Joinville

CSP-Conlutas, Trade Union and Public Centre

Metalworkers’ Union of São José dos Campos and Region/SP

Chemical Workers’ Union of SJC and Region/SP

Union of federal judicial workers in the state of São Paulo

Union of federal public service workers in the state of São Paulo

Union of workers at USP (University of São Paulo/SP), SINTUSP

Union of workers at the Postal and Telegraph Company of the Paraíba Valley/SP

Union of federal judiciary employees in Alagoas

Union of federal judiciary and Public Prosecutors’ workers in Maranhão

Union of workers in the construction and furniture industry in Belém/PA

Union of health workers of the state of Rio Grande do Norte

Union of municipal workers of Sta. Bárbara do Sul/RS

Union of employees in the commerce of Passo Fundo/RS

Union of employees in commerce in Santa Cruz do Sul

Union of workers in the cement, lime, plaster and ceramics industries in the municipality of Aracaju/SE

Union of municipal employees of Sta. Bárbara, Barão de Cocais and Catas Altas (SINDICABASA) MG (Minas Gerais)

Union of public servants of Monte Carmelo and Region MG

Public servants of Santa Cruz, MG

Union of education workers of the municipal public network of BH (SINDREDE BH), MG

SINDSAÚDE, Contagem Branch, MG

Union of active and inactive public servants of Três Pontas/MG

Union of workers in assistance, research, periodical and CONG resources companies of MG (SINTAPPI)

Union of workers in social security, health, prevention, labour and social assistance in MG (SINTSPREV)

Union of municipal public servants of Betim (SINDSERB) MG

Union of workers in the meat and meat products industry in the state of MG

Democratic Trade Union Federation of Metalworkers in Minas Gerais, MG

Union of workers in the newspaper and magazine printing industry in the state of MG (STIG)

Union of health workers of BH and Region (SINDEESS), of Divinópolis (MG) and Formiga (MG)

Itajubá Health Workers’ Union, MG

Municipal public servants’ union of Juazeiro do Norte, CE

Union of metalworkers and mechanical and electrical workers of Itaúna, Pirapora, São João del Rei, Valadares, Araxá, Barão de Cocais, Divinópolis, Ouro Preto, Patos de Minas, Várzea da Palma and the MG region

Metabase Union Inconfidentes, MG

Union of ceramic industry workers of Monte Carmelo, MG

Textile Workers’ Union of São João del Rei, MG and Pirapora, MG

Municipal Public Workers’ Union of Jacareí, SP

Union of workers in the civil construction and furniture industry, RR

Union of municipal public service workers of Alagoinhas, BA

Union of workers in the oil industry, in PA, AM, MA, AP, AL, SE

Democratic Federation of Family Farmers and Rural Entrepreneurs, PE

Federation of Rural Employees, PE

Intermunicipal union of community health workers combating endemic diseases in the Mato Grande Region, RN

Union of federal public servants in Labour, Health and Social Security, PR

Union of municipal public servants of Capela, SE

ADMAP – Democratic Association of Retirees and Pensioners of the Paraíba Valley, SP

Movimento Luta Popular

Rebeldia

National Quilombo Movement for Race and Class

Popular Resistance Movement, DF

MML – Women in Struggle Movement

Marielle Lives Feminist Collective

SINTUFF

SINTSEP-PA

Unidos Pra Lutar

Sintepp Belém

Centro Acadêmico de Serviço Social, University of Brasilia

Centro Acadêmico de Comunicação, University of Brasilia

Movimento Kizomba, DF

Silvia Andrea Ferraro, city councillor of São Paulo

Celso Giannazi, São Paulo city councillor for the PSOL party

Partido Comunista Brasileiro Revolucionário (PCBR)

União da Juventude Comunista (UJC)

Gabriel Landi Fazzio, Secretary of International Relations of the PCBR

Academic Centre for Philosophy, CAFIL USP

Gabriel Lazzari, Secretary General of the PCBR

Prof. Luiza Helena da Silva Christov, PhD, University professor at the UNESP Institute of Arts

Filipe Skiter, state president of the PSTU ES and leader of SINTUFES

Britain

Fiona Lali, RCP Campaigns Coordinator, Parliamentary Candidate for Stratford and Bow

John McDonnell, MP and former Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer

Ian Hodson, National President BFAWU

John McInally, former vice-president, PCS (Public and Commercial Services Union)

Pamela Fitzpatrick, former Independent Parliamentary Candidate for Harrow West 2024, and Leader of the Arise Political Party

Sarah Woolley, general secretary, BFAWU

Unite

Unison, North Tyneside

Lucy Williams, Sam Gorst and Alan Gibbons – Liverpool Community Independents councillors

Canada

CUPE 79 (30,000 members)

Learie Charles, President of the CUPW Scarborough local

Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) locals 79 and 730

Czechia

Mladí Sociální Demokraté (Young Social Democrats)

Rozpor

Base organization Holice u Pardubic, party Levice, Czechia

Denmark

Jan Hoby, Vice Chairman, National Association of Social Educators

France

Secours Rouge

Syndicat UNL

Les Jeunes de l’APRÈS

CGT Bouches-du-Rhône

CGT Thalès Services Numériques

Germany

Ferat Koçak, Die Linke, MdB

Greece

Konstantinos Papadakis, Lawyer; former Athens City Councillor; former Member of the Board of the Athens Bar Association; Civil Action Counsel in the Golden Dawn trial

Eftyhia Papalouka, Deputy Mayor, Municipality of Nea Filadelfeia, Nea Chalkidona

Grigoris Kalomoiris, President of the Panhellenic Union of Retired Educators

Evangelos Kitsonis, President of the Panhellenic Union of ICAP Employees

Ilias Stavrianos, President of the Panhellenic Union of Vantage Towers Employees

Dimitrios Chatzistelios, Secretary of the Board of the Panhellenic Union of Vodafone, Panafon Employees

Matthaios Velogiannis, Board Member of the Panhellenic Union of Research and Higher Education Employees (SERETE)

Alexandros Sarantos, Deputy Secretary in the Board of the DEH Pensioners Association of Megalopolis; Board Member, Panhellenic Federation of DEH Pensioners (POS/DEI)

Orestis Doulos, Board Member of Panhellenic Union of Vantage Towers Employees

Anastasia Stavropoulou, Board Member of the Athens Bar Association (Alternative Intervention, Legal Overthrow)

Giorgos Ortantzoglou, President of the Employees Union of the Municipality of Filadelfeia, Chalkidona

Anastasia Matsouka, Board Member of the Athens Bar Association (Alternative Intervention, Legal Overthrow)

Yannis Xydis, Member of the Political Secretariat of MeRA25

Vasilis Kafantaris, Member of the General Council of OELMEK (Cyprus)

Giorgos Lechouritis, Member of the Scientific Committee of the Union of Prevention Workers

Thanasis Kampagiannis, Lawyer, former Member of the Board of the Athens Bar Association

Giorgos Souvaliotis, Member of the Board of the Union of Salaried Engineers (Patras Branch)

MeRA25

Yanis Varoufakis, president of MeRA25

India

Revolutionary Workers’ Party of India

Italy

Slavoj Zizek, philosopher and essayist

Senator Stefano Patuanelli, leader of the Five Star Movement

Franco Bavila, editor of the magazine Rivoluzione

Mario Iavazzi, General Assembly of the National Confederation of Labour (CGIL)

Paolo Brini, General Assembly of the National Confederation of Labour (FIOM CGIL)

Domenico Loffredo, General Assembly of the National Confederation of Labour (FIOM CGIL)

Antonio Forlano, General Assembly of the National Confederation of Labour (FILT CGIL)

Paolo Grassi, General Assembly of Nidil CGIL National

Gianplacido Ottaviano, Rsu Fiom CGIL Bonfiglioli BO

Francesca Esposito, Atm Milan General Assembly of CGIL Milan

Vincenzo Chianese, Rsu Fiom CGIL Prima Components Gricignano d’Aversa Caserta

Tomaso Perani, Rsu State University General Assembly of FLC-CGIL Milan

Angelo Raimondi, Rsu Filcams CGIL Esselunga Corbetta-Milan

Jeisson Zuniga Rsa, Filt CGIL Transport & Warehouses Ups Milan Shipyard

Pedro Calderon, Filt CGIL Idealpartner Ups Milan Shipyard

Irene Forno Rsu, Flc CGIL Milan School

Sergio Schneider, Rsu Flc-CGIL Milan School

Elena Ricci, RSU FP-CGIL Redaelli Institute Milan

Daniele Chiavelli, RSU Flc CGIL School Mantua

Ferdinando De Marco, RSU Fiom CGIL Ersistemi Parma

Filippo Agazzi, RSU Fiom CGIL Gpi Parma

Nensi Castro, RSA Filcams CGIL Cna Reggio Emilia

Matteo Parlati Ferrari Maranello, General Assembly Fiom-CGIL Modena

Giuseppe Violante, RSA Maserati General Assembly FIOM-CGIL Modena

Giuseppe Faillace, RSU Motovario General Assembly FIOM-CGIL Modena

Simona Leri, RSU Coop Alleanza 30 General Assembly FILCAMS CGIL Modena

Carletto Vezzali, RSU FLAI CGIL Global Carni Modena

Raffaele Signoriello, RSU FIOM CGIL Otis Bologna

Luca Lanzi, RSU Fiom CGIL Manitou Modena

Concetta VentrellI, RSU Motovario General Assembly Fiom CGIL Modena

Ilic Vezzosi, Flc CGIL Bologna

Ivan Serra, RSU Fiom CGIL Rcm Bologna

Salvatore Veltri, RSU Fp CGIL Rizzoli Institute Bologna

Anna Venezia, RSU Fp CGIL Rizzoli Institute Bologna

Antonio Maccariello, RSU FIOM CGIL Bonfiglioli Riduttori Bologna

Serafino Pirillo, RSU FIOM CGIL Bonfiglioli Riduttori Bologna

Valentino Paoloni, RSU FP CGIL Asc Insieme Bologna

Domenico Minadeo, RSU FIOM CGIL Metaltarghe Bologna

Davide Bacchelli, RSU FIOM Ima Bologna

Ivan Serra, RSU Fiom CGIL RCM Bologna

Fabio Pavone, RSU FP CGIL AOSP Sant’Orsola Malpighi

Nico Maman General Secretary, FP CGIL Bologna

Loredana Donnici, Committee of Members FP CGIL IOR Bologna

Giuseppe Gomini, RSU Fiom CGIL Ducati Bologna

Gemma Giusti, General Secretary FP CGIL Bologna

Salvatore Mercogliano, Flc CGIL Pistoia

Diego Sabelli, Rsu Fiom CGIL Elt Rome

Arianna Mancini, Asl Rome 2 Fp CGIL Rome

Gabriele D’angeli, Flc CGIL Rome South

Marco Carletti, Rsa Fisac CGIL Bff Bank Rome

Lorenzo Esposito, RSU Fisac CGIL Bank of Italy Milan

Francesco Favalli, RSU Flc-CGIL School Cremona

Franco Ferrara, Executive Committee of SPI CGIL Lega Bassa Valbisagno Genoa

Fabio Guerrini, Student Association Marxist Study Group, University of Milan

Kevin Marocchi, Student Association Alziamo la testa, Sapienza University of Rome

Carolina Botnaru, Student Association Rosa Luxemburg, University of Trieste

Raffaella Lanzaro Marxist Collective, University of Bologna

Claudia Caiazzo Karl Marx Collective, University of Modena

Noemi Giardiello National Youth Coordinator, PCR

Alessio Bolt Youth Coordinator, PCR Naples

Michele Ricco Youth Coordinator, PCR Varese

Davide Gallerani Youth Coordinator, PCR Parma

Massimiliano Vetró Youth Coordinator, PCR Turin

Marco Grimaldi, MP Piedmont 1 – P01

Ireland

Paul Murphy, People Before Profit–Solidarity, Teachta Dála for Dublin South-West

Madeleine Johansson, People Before Profit Councillor for Palmerstown-Fonthill LEA, South Dublin County Council

Independent Workers’ Union (IWU)

Pakistan

Ikhlaq Ahmed, President Karachi Electric Workers’ Union

Karachi Bar Association of Lawyers

General Tyre Workers’ Union

Malir Bar Association of Lawyers, Karachi

Balochistan, Labour Federation (around 40 unions affiliated)

Balochistan Grand Alliance of Unions

Mining Workers’ Union of Balochistan

United Workers’ Federation of Balochistan

Awami Action Committee of Azad Kashmir

Poonch District Bar Association of Lawyers in Azad Kashmir

Lawyers of District Malir in Karachi

Lawyers of Lahore High Court

Lawyers of Gilgit Baltistan

Sindh High Court Bar Association, Karachi

Human Rights Council of Pakistan

Serbia

Udruženi sindikati Srbije Sloga

South Africa

Workers and Socialist Party and Socialist Youth Movement, South Africa

Spanish state

Pakistani Workers’ Association, Barcelona

Sector Maritimo Portuario de UGT Euskadi

Sweden

Claudia Velasquez, former member of the Municipal Council of Helsingborg, for the Left Party (Vänsterpartiet)

Switzerland

Tamara Funiciello, Socialist Party, National Parliament

Matteo Pronzini, MPS, Cantonal Parliament of Ticino

Pascal Pfister, Socialist Party, Cantonal Parliament of Basel-Stadt

Leandra Columberg, Socialist Party, Cantonal Parliament of Zurich

Thomas Bruchez, Socialist Party, Cantonal Parliament of Geneva

Lara Can, Socialist Party, City Parliament of Zurich

Johannes Supe, UNIA Representative for the Bern Region

Magnus Meister, UNIA Central Secretariat

Maël Mühlemann, UNIA Central Secretariat

Fabian Molina, Socialist Party, National Parliament

Nicolas Siegrist, Socialist Party, Cantonal Parliament Zurich

Giuseppe Sergi, MPS, Cantonal Parliament Ticino

Josef Savary, Socialist Party, Cantonal Parliament Ticino

Guilhem Kokot, Socialist Party, City Parliament Geneva

Benoît Gaillard, Socialist Party, National Parliament

Jürg Degen, Former Chairman of the Parliament of the Canton of Basel-Landschaft

Caroline Marti, Socialist Party, City Parliament Geneva

Taiwan

Zhu Meixue (朱梅雪), former president of Taoyuan Confederation of Trade Unions

Brian Hioe (丘琦欣), editor of New Bloom magazine

⁠Xie Dongpo (謝東坡), editor of The Spark website

USA

Chris Smalls, Amazon Labour Union

Stephen Edwards, (retired) charter President of AFSCME Local 2858, Council 31, Chicago

Howard A. Beck, Retired former Vice President of USWA 12-578

Kshama Sawant, Seattle City Council member and independent revolutionary socialist candidate for the US Congress

Venezuela

Miguel Angel Hernandez, leader of the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSL Venezuela)

 

Model letter for embassies/high commissions/consulates:

[Date]

His/Her Excellency [Name]

High Commissioner/Ambassador of Pakistan

[Address of Pakistani Mission]

[City, Country]

Your Excellency,

Re: Urgent Appeal for the Release of Detained Leaders of Awami Action Committee Gilgit-Baltistan

We, on behalf of [your organisation], write to express our grave concern regarding the recent arrest and detention of prominent leaders of the Awami Action Committee Gilgit-Baltistan (AAC-GB) by Pakistani authorities.

Details of Concern

On March 10, Pakistani police arrested several leading figures, including:

• Ehsan Ali, Chairman of AAC-GB and Advocate.
• Nusrat Hussain, AAC-GB.
• Mehboob Wali, AAC-GB
• Nafees AAC-GB and Advocate
• Mehar Ali, AAC-GB

These individuals have been charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act, along with sections 153-A and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code, after attending an iftar dinner to discuss price hikes, the Land Reform Act and other issues. This is a clearly unjustified attack on these individuals’ democratic rights and we demand their immediate release.

The judge at Ehsan Ali’s hearing on March 26 even acknowledged that attending an iftar dinner does not constitute a “simple crime,” let alone an act of terrorism.

These arrests are utterly without merit and we urge you to intervene against this naked injustice. Ehsan Ali is in poor health, having already contracted pneumonia while in custody. His life could be in danger if this situation continues.

It has been alleged that Amara Sattar, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Danyor, Gilgit Circle, was informed about Ehsan Ali’s critical health condition, requiring hospitalization, and responded: “Leave it, there are orders from above … let him die.”

Background to These Arrests

Mr. Ehsan Ali has been subjected to continuous harassment by state authorities. Last year, he was placed on the so-called “Fourth Schedule”—legislation that severely restricts freedom of movement, which was originally designed for monitoring suspected terrorists. This represents a gross misuse of anti-terrorism legislation against legitimate political organizers.

He then spent three months in jail after being arrested on May 16, 2025. 14 other individuals were also detained under anti-terrorism legislation. The arrests followed a legitimate political meeting scheduled for May 24–25 in Skardu to address issues of vital importance to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, including:

• The proposed minerals bill affecting natural resource ownership.
• Access to basic necessities, including flour subsidies.
• Provision of electricity, healthcare, and education services.

Ehsan Ali and the other leading AAC members were all finally granted bail on August 14, which goes to show the charges against them were utterly groundless.

Democratic Rights and International Standards

The AAC-GB has operated peacefully and successfully within democratic frameworks, achieving significant victories for the people of Gilgit-Baltistan:

• Securing flour subsidies for communities facing food insecurity.
• Negotiating improved access to electricity and essential services.
• Advocating for healthcare and educational provision in underserved areas.

These activities represent legitimate political organizing and advocacy that should be protected under Pakistani law and international human rights standards, including:

• The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (to which Pakistan is a signatory).
• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• Pakistan’s own constitutional guarantees of freedom of assembly and expression.

Campaign Demands

In light of the above, we supporters of the solidarity campaign for the AAC-GB respectfully demand:

• Immediate and unconditional release of all detained AAC-GB leaders and activists.
• Dropping of all charges against the detained individuals, which appear to be politically motivated.
• Ehsan Ali to be removed from the Fourth Schedule.
• End to harassment and surveillance of AAC-GB members and supporters.
• Respect for democratic rights, including freedom of assembly, expression, and political organization in Gilgit-Baltistan.
• Implementation of the fourteen-point charter of demands previously agreed to by the Gilgit-Baltistan government.

International Attention

We wish to inform you that this case has attracted (and is still attracting) significant international attention from:

• Trade union organizations across multiple countries.
• Student movements and civil society groups.
• Human rights organizations.
• Parliamentary representatives and elected officials.
• The continued detention of these leaders damages Pakistan’s international reputation and undermines its commitment to democratic governance and human rights.

Request for Action

We call upon you to:

• Convey these concerns urgently to the relevant authorities in Islamabad.
• Use your diplomatic influence to secure the immediate release of the detained individuals.
• Provide us with an update on actions taken to address this situation.
• Facilitate dialogue between the Pakistani government and AAC-GB representatives.

In Short

The people of Gilgit-Baltistan deserve the same democratic rights and freedoms enjoyed by all Pakistani citizens. The criminalization of peaceful political organizing sets a dangerous precedent and undermines Pakistan’s democratic institutions.

We look forward to your urgent intervention in this matter and to receiving confirmation of steps taken to secure the release of these dedicated community leaders.

The international labor movement stands in solidarity with our comrades in Gilgit-Baltistan, and we will continue to monitor this situation closely.

Yours respectfully,

[Signature]

[Name and Title]

[Organization]

[Contact Details]

CC:

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan (spokesperson.office1@mofa.gov.pk)

Minister of Interior, Pakistan (dslaw2@interior.gov.pk)

Chief Minister, Gilgit-Baltistan (info@gilgitbaltistan.gov.pk)

[Local MPs/Parliamentary Representatives]

contact@pakistansolidarity.org

Model Motion: Solidarity with Arrested Leaders of Awami Action Committee Gilgit-Baltistan

This [Union/Student Union] notes with grave concern:

• The arrest and detention of leading members of the Awami Action Committee—Gilgit-Baltistan (AAC-GB), including chairman Ehsan Ali, Nusrat Hussain, Mehboob Wali, Nafees Advocate, and Mehar Ali on March 10.
• That these comrades have been groundlessly charged under anti-terror laws and accused of “inciting violence,” charges that seem to be politically motivated.
• The judge at Ehsan Ali’s hearing on March 26 even acknowledged that attending an iftar dinner does not constitute a “simple crime,” let alone an act of terrorism.
• Ehsan Ali is in poor health, having already contracted pneumonia while in custody. His life could be in danger if this situation continues.
• It has been alleged that Amara Sattar, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Danyor, Gilgit Circle, was informed about Ehsan Ali’s critical health condition, requiring hospitalization, and responded: “Leave it, there are orders from above … let him die.”
• In 2025, Ehsan Ali was placed on Pakistan’s notorious “Fourth Schedule”—legislation originally designed for monitoring terrorists—severely restricting his freedom of movement.
• That same year, Ehsan Ali and 14 other leading members of the AAC-GB spent three months in jail after being charged under anti-terror laws. They were released on bail on August 14, which suggests the charges were baseless.
• These previous arrests occurred as the AAC-GB planned a meeting to address the ownership of natural resources in Gilgit-Baltistan.
• The political persecution of the AAC-GB by the Pakistan state is thus well-established and longstanding.
• That the AAC-GB has successfully organized mass movements which have secured vital concessions on flour subsidies, electricity provision, healthcare, and education for communities living in extreme poverty.

This [Union/Student Union] believes:

• These arrests represent a clear attack on democratic rights and trade union organizing.
• The criminalization of peaceful political activity sets a dangerous precedent for workers’ movements globally.
• International solidarity is essential to defend the right to organize against exploitation and oppression.
• The struggle of workers in Gilgit-Baltistan against poverty and resource extraction is part of the broader international working-class movement.

This [Union/Student Union] resolves to:

1. Condemn the politically motivated arrests and demand the immediate and unconditional release of all detained AAC-GB leaders and activists.
2. Write to the Pakistani High Commissioners and Ambassadors in various Pakistani embassies demanding the release of all arrested comrades and an end to state repression in Gilgit-Baltistan.
3. Encourage members to participate in solidarity demonstrations and protests organized in support of the AAC-GB in front of Pakistani high commissions, embassies, and consulates.
4. Share information about this case through union/organisation communications, social media, and educational materials.
5. Affiliate to future solidarity campaigns and maintain ongoing support for democratic movements in Pakistan.

This [Union/Student Union] commits to:

• Monitoring developments in this case and taking further action as required.
• Building links with international trade union organizations to coordinate solidarity efforts.
• Raising awareness of the broader struggle against imperialism and for workers’ rights in South Asia.
• Supporting similar movements facing state repression globally.

“An injury to one is an injury to all”

Proposed by: [Name]
Seconded by: [Name]
Date: [Date]