PEACEFUL protests represent the beauty of democracy. However, an ugly side is that they adversely affect educational and business activities. Students residing in Islamabad suffer the most in this regard, as the city has been a hotbed of political sit-ins, strikes and long marches for quite some time.

The Covid pandemic has already shaken education systems the world over, and Pakistan is no exception. However, as the pandemic started to subside and people stepped out of their homes, the country was gripped by political unrest and any semblance of normalcy disappeared.

Regardless of who wants to protest about or against what, students should be able to attend their schools, colleges and universities without any difficulty.

If our political parties really want to protect the future of Pakistan, they must facilitate and empower the nation’s students. They must realise that each day is important for the students who can’t focus on their studies amid frequent strikes and sit-ins.

Jawad Ahmed Awan
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2022