May 14, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 8, 1429

ISLAMABAD, May 13: The Student Action Committee Rawalpindi/Islamabad (SAC) presented a code of conduct for student unions elections here Tuesday while criticising Higher Education Commission and university/college administrations for not involving the students in the process of designing a mechanism in a meaningful way.

At a press conference at Islamabad Press Club Camp Office, the SAC representatives also condemned the government, accusing it of marginalising students in a manner that was inimical to the spirit of democracy.

SAC convener Alia Amirali said that May 15 had been announced as the deadline for consultations on the code of conduct but these consultations were taking place behind the closed doors.

She said ever since the announcement that student unions would be restored, attitude of the authorities had been highly circumspect with no official notification issued and no announcement of a schedule for elections.

Even the drafting of the code of conduct was taking place in a non-transparent manner, she added. Government must now honour its pledge to restore student unions, she said.

Presenting the SAC’s proposed code of conduct, Alia Amirali pointed out that there were many educational institutions in which no student activism was allowed, particularly those controlled and run by the military.

She said it was imperative that the freedom to organise and assemble be granted to students of all the educational institutions, including those run by the military.