ISLAMABAD: All political parties must unanimously pass legislation in parliament to decriminalise student politics.

Criminalising politics in university campuses has had a devastating effect on the democratic process and particularly development of youth.

Taking this into consideration, all mainstream political parties must act towards restoration of student unions in colleges and universities.

This was highlighted by scores of students who participated in a march on Wednesday to mark the 38th anniversary of the ban on student unions imposed by former president General Ziaul Haq.

Under the platform of the Progressive Students Federation (PrSF), members of various left-wing and ethnic national organisations gathered at the National Press Club (NPC) from where they proceeded towards F-6 Supermarket. Trade unionists, intellectuals, progressive political workers and ordinary citizens were part of the march.

Speaking on the occasion, PrSF leaders Ikramullah Mahseed, Faryal Rasheed, Jamil bin Iqbal, Israr Gharsheen, Mustafa Wynne, Sana Mohammad and others said in the past four decades, criminalisation of politics on college and university campuses has had a devastating effect on the democratic process in general and development of youth in particular.

Other speakers were Alia Amir Ali and Ammar Rashid of the Awami Workers Party (AWP), Mushtaq Chaudhry of the Pakistan Inquilabi Party and Asif Rasheed of the Revolutionary Students Federation who noted that privatisation of education is intensifying with each passing day resulting in spiralling fees, a severe shortage of hostels and other campus facilities, declining quality of education and unaccountable faculty and administrators.

The rally demanded removal of the ban on student unions and immediate conduction of nationwide student union elections, an end to the privatisation of educational institutions, reimbursement of the fee taken after increments and free education for all, reversal of cuts in the education budget levied by Higher Education Commission (HEC) and freedom to conduct political activities on-campus.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2022