PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mohammad Sohail Afridi on Thursday hinted at reviving student unions by saying such platforms enabled students to participate in democratic processes besides helping nurture future leaders.

“Revival of student unions will enable students to participate constructively in democratic processes, help nurture leadership skills, thereby contributing to the development of future leadership,” he said during a meeting of the labour department here.

The meeting was called to review in detail the legal and institutional framework for labour welfare, ongoing reform initiatives and the future course of action, according to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.

It added that the meeting undertook a detailed discussion on the long-standing issue of the restoration of student unions.

A resolution has already been passed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in this regard, with practical steps towards restoration being taken.

“A dedicated committee has been constituted to submit recommendations, following which a balanced code of conduct will be developed through consultation with all relevant stakeholders,” it read.

The meeting also decided formal legislation would be introduced to define the framework, scope and regulatory parameters of student unions.

It agreed on the need to further strengthen the social security registration system for labour to ensure effective enforcement of the minimum wage.

The chief minister underscored that full compliance with the government-notified minimum wage was imperative and directed the concerned authorities to expedite the registration process.

Officials said that under the government’s good governance agenda, the initial registration target had been achieved ahead of the specified timeline, with further significant increase in registrations expected by May 1.

The meeting agreed on the need to increase the number of labour courts and the chief minister directed that the matter be taken up at the appropriate forum.

The participants also reviewed progress regarding the issuance of allotment letters for newly constructed residential flats for workers in Peshawar, issuing directions for the timely completion of the process.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2026