13 March 2004	Saturday	21 Muharram 1425

KARACHI, March 12: Leading politicians and student leaders at the All Parties Conference, on Friday, called for joint struggle for the rights of students and urged the government to restore student unions at all educational institutes.

The conference was organized by the Islami Jamiat Talba in connection with it's "Student Rights Campaign" launched all over the country. Jamat-i-Islami Naib Amir Ghafoor Ahmed, leader of the opposition in Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmed Khoro, former MNA Ijaz Shafi, leaders of nationalist parties and leaders of eight student organizations addressed the conference.

They were of the view that ban on student unions at educational institutions had not served any purpose and instead it had deprived the students of their constitutional and legal right to elect their own representatives.

The leaders said that student unions were banned by a dictator and there seemed no chance of lifting ban by another military dictator.

They warned the government to refrain from excluding Quranic verses from textbook of biology, as it would be counted an act on enmity against Islam and would be considered an act to appease Western and secular powers.

The speakers also opposed the establishment of Aga Khan Educational Board and privatization of educational institutions, which they termed bid to confine education only to elite of the country and deprive common men of their basic right of getting education.

Supporting the demand for restoration and holding elections of student unions, Prof Ghafoor Ahmed said that the present government was embarked upon destroying Islamic and ideological basis of the country. He alleged that the government had nothing to do with the suffering of the masses.

He warned the Aga Khan Foundation of a country-wide campaign against it if the foundation did not stop its, so called, anti- Islamic and anti-Pakistan activities. He said that an agreement was signed between the United States and the Aga Khan Foundation to change curriculum in Pakistan and implement secular system of education.

Nisar Ahmed Khuro said, "Unfortunately, we could not set priorities in all sectors of life despite lapse of 56 years of independence and the education sector has remained most neglected area by the government."

He called for unity among the ranks of all political and social forces of the country to get their due rights. In this regard, he said, "A great responsibility lies on shoulders of students, who can steer the country out of crises."

Mr Khuro assured the student groups that he would raise the issue of student unions in the coming session of Sindh Assembly scheduled to be held on March 19.

Ijaz Shafi, in his address, criticized the government for not giving rights to students and also accused Jamat-i-Islami for not raising the issue of restoration of student unions in the parliament. He said that all the political parties should adopt a joint strategy in this regard and compel the anti-people government to take steps for welfare of common people, especially students.

IJT Nazim Zubair Gondal, Arshad Mughal of PSF, Fazlur Rahman of JTI, Obaid Noorani of ATI, Irfan Baluch of PSF (SB group), Sajid Hussain of ISO, Azhar Bulaidi of Sindh Students' Movement and others also spoke. -PPI