LAHORE - Speakers at a seminar have stressed revival of students’ unions for a true leadership “otherwise powerful but illiterate people would continue to rule the country”.
The speakers at the seminar “The reasons of restoration of Students’ Unions”, held under the aegis of Pakistan Institute of National Affairs (PINA) at Jinnah Garden, seemed quite disappointed over years-long ban on students’ unions in the country.
They said the students’ unions were need of the hour as they always played a pivotal role in leaders’ making for the country instead the political parties and those who were in the power did not want them back for their own rule.
In 1984, students unions were banned across the country when military ruler Zia-ul-Haq was in power. Later in 1993, the Supreme Court through a ruling held that heads of institutions should decide whether they needed a student union or not. Since then, nobody could work for establishment or restoration of the unions - once known as nurseries for the political leadership in the country.
Veteran politician Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Pildat Director General Ahmad Bilal Mahboob, Sargodha University former vice-chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Akram Ch, senior journalist Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami, Hafeezullah Niazi and many others professors, students activists were present in the seminar held at a hall of Quaid-i-Azam Library of Jinnah Garden.
Addressing the seminar, Javed Hashmi said that he remained active in politics during his studies and finally entered into the main political arena of the country. “I was elected eleven times as the Member of the National Assembly,” Hashmi said while sharing his political career from a student union’s president to the floor of national assembly as its member.
Unfortunately, he added, there was no forum for leadership while landlords had destroyed the political system of the country.
“Had the students unions not banned, the country would have become highly civilised,” he contended.
Later, he expressed dismay over recent fight between two members of the parliament saying that “both parties must be punished for this act”.
Saying there is no true leader in Pakistan, Hashmi recalled his role and suggestions to PTI Chairman Imran Khan.
Pildat Director-General Ahmad Bilal Mahboob, on the occasion, said that the unions were very important for students but in the current scenario they would not be restored or established without legislation.
“Now, legislation is required to establish students unions or to revive them because of political interference and conflicting situations,” Mahboob said, adding that establishment of unions did not mean that the students should be banned from having political affiliation.
“They should be given their right of affiliation. Though it could not be banned, they should not be allowed any political campaign within the campus or their own unions,” he suggested.
The Pildat DG quoted the SC judgment on students’ unions as well as a report written by some academicians in 1975 in which they shed light over controlling violence in unions and maintaining discipline.
Ghulam Abbas, former student activist at PU Law College, said that violence took place due to absence of elections. He held the occupants of the political system did not want students unions’ restoration because they felt fear. “Now students are going to private institutions because unions don’t exist anymore. How it looks when parents send their children to a private varsity or college to get education which is owned by a capitalist,” Abbas questioned.
He further said that students at private institutions, it seemed, were equal to the number of students at public institutions and it was sure that they would never allow unions at their institutions. Imrana Mushtaq, Hafizullah Qazi, Nasrullah Khan of Peshawar University and many others also spoke on the occasion.
FIDA HUSSNAIN