ISLAMABAD: Apparently impressed by Bangladeshi students whose protests brought down the government of Sheikh Hasina Wajid, the student wing of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday demanded the revival of student unions in the country.

Addressing a press conference at the National Press Club, representatives of Insaf Student Federation (ISF) announced to launch a movement for the restoration of Constitution and revival of the student unions in the country.

ISF President Arslan Hafeez, Vice President Amjad Ali and others said the country had been facing unprecedented inflation with exorbitant electricity bills and taxes besides a “system of fascism.”

Therefore, “we are going to launch a students’ movement to get the country out of crises,” they said, adding they will soon hold a rally in Islamabad which will be attended by a large number of students from different political parties and organisations.

Plans rally in Islamabad to be attended by students from different political parties and organisations

Election at QAU not in sight

Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) Islamabad has not yet announced a schedule for the election of the students’ union which could have led to the revival of the students’ unions across the country.

In September 2023, Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa while attending a QAU syndicate meeting had lent his support to a decision to revive the students’ union at the university. It was hoped that the move will pave the way for the revival of student unions in other universities as well.

After the decision, the university took considerable time in finalising rules and regulations for holding the election which were presented before the syndicate meeting in February this year.

The syndicate after approving a code of conducts gave the go-ahead signal to the university for holding the election in August or September this year. But so far, no further progress has been made.

A senior official of QAU, when contacted on Thursday, by Dawn to know the update on the union election, said: “Right now I have no knowledge about the election and can get the required information tomorrow).”

However, another QAU official said there was no sign of holding the student elections at the university anytime soon. Rather, he said, the university wants to hold elections of the alumni first.

Student unions were banned in 1984 by military dictator Ziaul Haq in an effort to quell student uprisings against his oppressive policies.

The decision left a significant vacuum in Pakistan’s political landscape. Four decades later, the students at QAU last year seemed poised to be the first to get their democratic rights back.

Successive governments made several commitments for the revival of student unions but none of them could take practical steps.

Earlier in 2017, the Senate of Pakistan headed by Mian Raza Rabbani passed a resolution for revival of the student unions, but nothing happened.

During the PTI government, the then prime minister Imran Khan also expressed support for the restoration of student unions following protests across the country, but he too failed to get the unions restored.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2024