After three torturous months in captivity, Ehsan Ali – Chairman of the Awami Action Committee Gilgit-Baltistan (AAC-GB), and a leading comrade of the Inqalabi Communist Party (RCP) – is a free man!
This is a huge victory for international solidarity, which would not have been possible without the overwhelming support of workers, labour leaders and radical youth all over the world.
Since his arrest on 10 March on trumped-up terrorism charges for the ‘crime’ of attending an iftar dinner and discussing peaceful protest, Ehsan Ali has endured horrific conditions in prison. Just like during his previous arrest in 2025, the authorities pressured him to confess to all manner of scandalous lies, while threatening his relatives and comrades into denouncing him.
He was denied proper medical care, and a senior police officer in Gilgit-Baltistan admitted there were orders “from above” to “let him die.” But in defiance of his captors, he endured this ordeal with courage and fortitude, refusing to capitulate. He leaves jail today alive and well, ready to continue his lifelong struggle to defend the poor and exploited people of the region.
His release comes days after farcical elections in Gilgit-Baltistan. The timing of his imprisonment was likely no accident. The authorities wanted to keep the main leader of the AAC off the streets during this so-called democratic process, which has installed even more supplicant toadies of Islamabad in the Assembly in Gilgit. They will continue to facilitate the looting of this rich and fertile region.
The power of international solidarity
Political prisoners in Pakistan and its occupied territories usually vanish without a trace, leaving their families ignorant of their fate. But thanks to an international solidarity campaign organised across five continents by comrades of the Revolutionary Communist International, a ceaseless spotlight has been trained on the crimes of the Pakistan state.
Despite severe threats by the state authorities, protests for his release were held in Hunza and other cities in Gilgit-Baltistan. Workers, students, and members of the RCP in Pakistan also held several protests across the country, especially on May Day, demanding the release of Ehsan Ali and other leaders of the AAC-GB.
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Internationally, thousands of people have signed our petition calling for Ehsan Ali’s freedom. Comrades and supporters have protested at Pakistan’s diplomatic missions all over the world, from Montreal to Melbourne, from London to Lisbon, from Chicago to Copenhagen! They have delivered dozens of letters of concern, despite often being met with slammed doors, police interference, and even threats from Pakistan’s diplomatic staff. The reason they are so rattled is clear: grave injustices are being done in their name, which we have helped expose to the world!
Important voices have spoken up for our campaign. The human rights organisations Amnesty International and Genocide Watch both issued statements condemning Ehsan Ali’s arrest and the persecution of the Awami Action Committee. All told, we gained the backing of almost 400 prominent figures, including left-wing politicians (like former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn), trade union leaders representing millions of workers (most recently Laura Walton, President of the Ontario Federation of Labour), as well as progressive activists and artists. The American musician David Rovics even wrote an original protest anthem for Ehsan Ali!
One of our key supporters, John McDonnell (a well-known left-wing MP and former British Shadow Chancellor), attended one of our London protests in person and tabled an Early Day Motion for MPs to sign, signalling their support for our demands. We encourage readers in Britain to continue pressuring their MPs to put their name to this motion, because while we rightly celebrate this victory, our struggle is far from over.
The fight is not over
For one thing, Ehsan Ali remains on the infamous Fourth Schedule, meaning his movements are going to be closely monitored by the police. And the ongoing repression of the Awami Action Committee Gilgit-Baltistan means that several of its leading activists have been forced to go underground to avoid arrest. We must maintain the pressure until all charges against AAC-GB members are dropped and Ehsan Ali’s name is removed from the Fourth Schedule.
The crooks and generals in charge of Pakistan are responding to the economic and political crisis unleashed by the US-Israeli war on Iran by clamping down on dissent. This can be seen by the murderous campaign against the AAC-GB’s sister organisation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which has responded by unleashing a mass protest movement.
The bloodshed, theft and oppression of the people in the region will not end while they remain in the clutches of capitalism and imperialism, which have created a disastrous situation for hundreds of millions of people. Ultimately, the only answer to this nightmare is socialist revolution. This is the cause to which Ehsan Ali has devoted his life, as have all the comrades of the RCP, fighting in very difficult conditions across Pakistan’s territory.
Winning freedom for Ehsan Ali is a material demonstration of the power of international solidarity, which can defeat even the most brutal and unrelenting regime.
We offer our sincere thanks to everybody who supported us and helped to make this victory possible.
- Long live the RCI!
- Long live the Awami Action Committee!
- Workers of the world, unite!
