KARACHI:Speakers at a discussion on restoration of students unions here on Wednesday demanded the provincial government of Sindh to make the draft law fully compliant to the constitutional provisions and the provisions of international commitments such as Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
The law must restore full fundamental rights for the students including right to strike against accesses of university administration. There should be more representation of female students in the union and the unions should have enhanced representation in the decision-making bodies such as university syndicate, university senate and academic council and other committees and mechanism.
The dialogue organized by various students’ group with support of civil society organizations was presided over by the renowned jurists Justice (Retd.) Rasheed A Razvi. Speakers included senior rights activist Karamat Ali, Prof. Dr. Tauseef Ahmed, Dr. Riaz Shaikh, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences at Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST) and leaders of students who have recently established students organizations and platforms.
The event coincided with the student’s movement of 1950 when on 8th January students were attacked by the then government of Khawaja Nazim Uddin and 26 students and common people were killed.
While the speakers appreciated the government for a draft bill for restoration of students of unions in Sindh, they criticized the provisions, which are restrictive in nature and demanded that the unions should be restored with full fundamental rights. They also demanded that the government must consult students’ bodies before moving it in the assembly and passing it.
Rasheed Razvi recalled how the student union contributed in democratic movement in Pakistan. He was of the view that political parties also played a negative role, which resulted in the fall of student’s movement. He suggested that demand for restoration of students’ unions should be beyond political affiliations and considerations.
He said: “We can demand more but mere restoration of unions would be a first step in the right direction,” he added. Razvi suggested that a provision for financial aid is important in the bill so that the students’ unions would have their own resources.
He said that terms like good order and discipline need to be defined. He suggested that office bearers of the students unions should also be mentioned and defined in the law so no manipulation is done in rules.
Senior academician Prof. Dr. Tauseef Ahmed said that 8th January is day of resistance when in 1953 DSF started a movement which was ruthlessly crushed. It was the first movement after Pakistan independence in which 26 people were killed. It was first important democratic movement. Students demanded free education. Now when the government is considering to restore students’ union after 36 years, it is quite important that it is fully democratic. This gap has resulted in undemocratic attitudes. The bill should be applicable on both public and private universities including those under defense ministry. With certain changes this can be a good law and must be passed immediately, he added.
Ms. Sindhu Nawaz, a student leader said that young people are deprived of representation. There is a huge student’s resistance movement all around the world and Pakistani students are awake now and will no more remain quite. Students are being suppressed in universities of Sindh because they demand their fair rights. There are short of facilities and sexual harassment is a main issue but no one is raising this issue.
She demanded that the students union should be restored in entire country. Dr. Aimal of DSF said that Pakistan’s major population around 64 percent is under the age 30 years but there is no voice of this young population at any forum. Universities are nurseries of democracy and full restoration of students’ unions would strengthen the democracy in the country.
Salim of BSO said that the draft bill is restrictive as students’ union would not be able to raise critical issues. He said that the recent scandal of harassment of female students in Quetta is a result of absence of student union.
If a bill for the tenure of Army Chief can be passed in a couple of days then why can’t students’ union restoration bill is passed at the earliest. Khalid Kohistani of People Student Federation (PSF) said freedom should be with responsibility.
Kulsoom Baloch, a student of university of Karachi said that political culture has been diluted at campuses. “We have to first create an enabling environment for restoration of students’ union. Currently, there is no freedom of ask questions.” Right to protest must be incorporated and it should be compliant to rights and fundamental freedoms. Participation of female students is must.
Zahabia from Progressive Students Federation, Tasneem Azam, JKNF, Mohsin Ali, BSE, Shahera of Progressive Collective and Anam, PY also spoke on the occasion.
Newsdesk