Revolutionary Communist Party representatives say participants will learn and know about communism, socialism, and their working during Pakistan’s first Communist Festival on October 5 in Lahore
In a political landscape dominated by right-wing populism, left-wing approach, and a huge but ‘silent’ majority of liberal individuals, the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP) is offering a different platform that emphasizes on grassroot mobilization and class struggle as a path towards a societal change in the multicultural and the multi-ethnic society of Pakistan where people from various backgrounds live together while maintaining their distinct identities.
The Revolutionary Communist Party representatives told Risala Today that they have planned to organize a Communist Festival in Lahore on Sunday – October 5, 2025 – as this daylong socio-political activity would be the first of its kind in Pakistan. “We are inviting everyone from every nook and corner to join the Communist Festival in Lahore, as we believe that the participants will learn and know what we are doing and how we are working,” they said.
“We are ready to answer all questions of all those people who even don’t know about communism or socialism or about Revolutionary Communist Party or even presence of a large number of communists in Lahore, and other cities, and villages of Pakistan,” they said, adding that there would be four sessions, including an interesting question and answer (Q&A) session, and a theatrical performance for the audience. To a question, they said that the young people, especially university and college students, were showing more interest to join the festival.
Aftab Ashraf, the comrade, will lead the Q&A session while Saqib Ismail will be the main voice in other sessions – the Russian Revolution of 1917 and Pakistan heading towards a revolution; how the Revolutionary Communist Party will address the peoples’ problems; and revolutionary poetry and music in the name of Faiz Ahmad Faiz – 13-February-1911 – 20-November-1984 – who was one of the most celebrated, popular, and influential poet and author of Urdu and Punjabi literature of his time, and his writings and ideas remain widely influential in Pakistan and beyond.
It is pertinent to mention here that the communist parties in Pakistan are operating outside the parliamentary mainstream, as these are not registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan. Mostly, the communist or socialist parties are led by a central committee whose representatives are mostly believers and followers of communism and socialism. According to experts, the communist parties always maintain roots in class-based activism, and remain more active through various platforms, and enjoy a good support and a strong base in workers, youngsters, peasants, women, students, and intellectuals.
About the festival, the RCP representatives told Risala Today that they have a believe that capitalism has shaken the entire world with environmental destruction, and unending wars in various regions besides collapse of markets, and crisis of jobs and proper wages. “We can easily observe that what is happening around us – from one corner to the other corner,” they said. Through social media platforms, they said that every citizen in Pakistan can now watch and read that how capitalism was pushing the world towards crisis after the crisis.
“This is an era in which all ‘old’ lies and deceptions are being shattered one by one,” they said, and pointed out that the parties and institutions that used to claim to solve problems of the people have now all been exposed before the people. Today, they said the revolutionary uprisings and movements were emerging everywhere – from Nepal to Indonesia to Sri Lanka to Bangladesh – with millions of young people and workers taking to the streets against the rulers, and the system. In Lahore, they confirmed that more and more young people and the students would be part of the Communist Festival.
To a question, the organizers said the Communist Festival would be the best answer to a question of how to build a new system in place of a ‘rotten’ one. “We are sure that the festival will convince young people and workers that capitalism is not an ‘eternal’ system, as it can and must be cracked through socialist revolution,” they said. Basically, the festival is being held in memory of the Russian Revolution of 1917. “This is not just a festival, but a revolutionary challenge, a declaration of ‘rebellion’ against capitalism, and a milestone in organizing youngsters and workers,” they said.
From weekly book streets to weekend bazaars to other markets, the young communists are working day and night to invite people from all walks of life to join the festival. Even, they are roaming in streets and markets – shop-to-shop and door-to-door – in Lahore’s urban areas to convince the public to understand a difference between other activities and the Communist Festival that is totally against the capitalism. “We are inviting people from across the board to know things that are necessary to know,” the RCP members said, as they were actively engaging students inside and outside of their educational institutions to join the activity.
