LAHORE: The sit-in of the Progressive Students Collective (PSC) has entered its ninth day on Thursday, demanding a revival of the student unions, reduction in fee and withdrawal of security forces from the campuses.

On Thursday, the Aurat March Lahore organisers visited the week-long sit-in to show solidarity with the students fighting for their rights for a better future.

PPP parliamentary leader in Punjab Assembly Syed Hassan Murtaza also visited the student’s camp and supported their demands for restoration of the unions across the country. He said a bill for restoration of the unions would be tabled in the next session of the assembly, supporting all demands of the students.

A number of students have been camping outside the Punjab Assembly on The Mall since Feb 9 continuously to demand restoration of the unions.

The ban on students’ unions was imposed in 1984 during the regime of military dictator Gen Ziaul Haq. It was lifted during Benazir’s first government in 1989, but in 1993 the Supreme Court put a blanket ban on political activities by the students on campuses.

The Sindh Assembly has unanimously passed the Sindh Students Union Bill 2019, paving the way for restoration of students’ unions in educational institutions after over 38 years on Feb 12.

The student’s demands include revival of unions, withdrawal of an affidavit they are asked to sign at the time of admission, pledging to stay away from political activities, 50pc concession in transport fares on student cards and anti-harassment committees with equal membership of female students.

They also demanded release of all the student activists and teachers subjected to forced disappearances all over the country, withdrawing Rangers and Frontier Constabulary (FC) from all educational institutes, inclusion of third gender category in admission forms to ensure implementation of Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018, establishment of universities, including Baba Fareed University in Pakpattan and withdrawal of the recent increase in fees.

ELECTED: Punjab University teachers on Thursday elected the following Academic Staff Association office bearers.

Prof Dr Muhammad Azhar Naeem president, Prof Dr Farah Rauf Shakoori vice president (science), Prof Dr Ahmad Bilal vice president (arts), Dr Amjad Magsi secretary, Dr Maliha Uroos joint secretary and Dr Amer Masood treasurer.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2022