The recent scandal in Balochistan University and the resulting protests by student bodies has brought in focus the debate on reviving student unions that were first banned in 1984 by General Zia. Later, in 1993, the Supreme Court upheld the ban on these unions. The call by Balochistan University students for revival is not the first one. Lately, students in both private and public sector educational institutions protesting over their demands have been calling for organized representative bodies to articulate their demands.
Ever since the days of General Zia, young adults in colleges and universities have been denied intellectual and physical space, either in the name of preventing violence on campuses, or in the name of so-called ‘erosion of cultural values.’ The prevalent feudalistic mind set has further reinforced this attitude towards denying space to the youth.
Sporadic attempts have been made in the past to revive students unions but each time they were thwarted by universities bureaucracies citing the Supreme Court verdict as well as reasons of campus violence. In 2008, then PM Yousuf Raza Gillani announced to revive students unions but could not go far. Recently, the Sindh Assembly passed a unanimous resolution for restoration of student unions but no practical steps seem to have been taken in this regard.
Now that strident voices demanding revival of students unions are being heard once again, it will be useful to recall the three-year-old initiative of the Senate in this regard to take the conversation forward.
A motion moved by a private member the Senate in 2016 converted itself into a Committee of the Whole to deliberate on the issue. Apart from lengthy discussions with all stake holders invited to the debate, copies of the 1993 SC verdict were distributed among members of the Committee of the Whole to determine whether legislation should be made to overturn it, or if it provided room for manoeuver.
The Committee of the Whole unanimously noted that the 1993 verdict had directed that “arrangements shall be made as soon as possible and not later than a month to take steps for developing, restoring or re-organizing a healthy students discussion and other activity in any form suitable to the individual institutions which might be called by any description; regarding which arrangements for elections shall also be made.” Further the verdict held that “keeping in view the nature of the subject matter, it will have to be kept under review from time to time by the Supreme Court.”
From this the Senate unanimously concluded that the revival of students unions would not be a violation of the verdict. Members expressed the view that the murder of Mashal Khan in a university in Mardan could have been prevented if student unions had been functioning.
Students have played an active role in the Pakistan movement as was demonstrated by the Muslim Students Federation. After Partition, it was student power that started the movement that forced the exit of Pakistan’s first military dictator General Ayub Khan. Students’ role in ousting Ayub may well have been a reason why General Ziaul Haq banned student unions.
Zia, however, tacitly allowed right wing Islami Jamiat-i-Tulaba (IJT) to flourish. It has been carrying on its activities despite serious accusations of armed violence on university campuses across Pakistan. Noting this, the Senate observed that violence keeps erupting in universities, despite the ban on student unions and this negated the notion that unions be banned for the sake of peace on campuses. While it is essential to maintain peace on campuses, banning student unions was not the solution. Violence in the society was far more serious an issue and cannot not be blamed on student unions alone.
Senators believed that, instead of promoting violence, healthy union activity on campus may encourage an environment of tolerance and debate. They unanimously voted to revive unions in universities with a code of conduct with no tolerance for violent activities. Politics in Pakistan would gain and not lose if healthy democratic culture was promoted in academic institutions.
After the threadbare discussion, the Senate Committee of the Whole unanimously adopted a resolution that said in part:
“The 9th of February 1984 is a day of infamy for the democratic fabric of Pakistan. On this day, the student unions were banned by the passing of Martial Law Orders 1371 and 227. These MLOs were repealed by the democratic government in 1989.”
The Resolution said, “the MLOs banning student unions has put society through a cruel and prolonged suffering for more than three decades; slowly allowing the poison of fundamentalism and sectarianism to seep into the streams of society, stymied campus development and student welfare issues and damaged personal growth of students and culture of healthy debates.”
Finally, the Resolution declared that, “The Constitution of Pakistan vide Article 17 gives every person the right to form association. These recommendations are not in violation of the judgment of the Supreme Court and urge the revival of students unions in the educational institutions and to regulate the same in order to ensure zero tolerance for violent activities.”
It is time to heed the unanimous Senate resolution adopted after thorough deliberations in its Committee of the Whole and revive the students unions.
The writer is a former senator
Ever since the days of General Zia, young adults in colleges and universities have been denied intellectual and physical space, either in the name of preventing violence on campuses, or in the name of so-called ‘erosion of cultural values.’ The prevalent feudalistic mind set has further reinforced this attitude towards denying space to the youth.
Sporadic attempts have been made in the past to revive students unions but each time they were thwarted by universities bureaucracies citing the Supreme Court verdict as well as reasons of campus violence. In 2008, then PM Yousuf Raza Gillani announced to revive students unions but could not go far. Recently, the Sindh Assembly passed a unanimous resolution for restoration of student unions but no practical steps seem to have been taken in this regard.
Sporadic attempts have been made in the past to revive students unions but each time they were thwarted by universities bureaucracies citing the Supreme Court verdict
Now that strident voices demanding revival of students unions are being heard once again, it will be useful to recall the three-year-old initiative of the Senate in this regard to take the conversation forward.
A motion moved by a private member the Senate in 2016 converted itself into a Committee of the Whole to deliberate on the issue. Apart from lengthy discussions with all stake holders invited to the debate, copies of the 1993 SC verdict were distributed among members of the Committee of the Whole to determine whether legislation should be made to overturn it, or if it provided room for manoeuver.
The Committee of the Whole unanimously noted that the 1993 verdict had directed that “arrangements shall be made as soon as possible and not later than a month to take steps for developing, restoring or re-organizing a healthy students discussion and other activity in any form suitable to the individual institutions which might be called by any description; regarding which arrangements for elections shall also be made.” Further the verdict held that “keeping in view the nature of the subject matter, it will have to be kept under review from time to time by the Supreme Court.”
From this the Senate unanimously concluded that the revival of students unions would not be a violation of the verdict. Members expressed the view that the murder of Mashal Khan in a university in Mardan could have been prevented if student unions had been functioning.
Students have played an active role in the Pakistan movement as was demonstrated by the Muslim Students Federation. After Partition, it was student power that started the movement that forced the exit of Pakistan’s first military dictator General Ayub Khan. Students’ role in ousting Ayub may well have been a reason why General Ziaul Haq banned student unions.
Zia, however, tacitly allowed right wing Islami Jamiat-i-Tulaba (IJT) to flourish. It has been carrying on its activities despite serious accusations of armed violence on university campuses across Pakistan. Noting this, the Senate observed that violence keeps erupting in universities, despite the ban on student unions and this negated the notion that unions be banned for the sake of peace on campuses. While it is essential to maintain peace on campuses, banning student unions was not the solution. Violence in the society was far more serious an issue and cannot not be blamed on student unions alone.
Senators believed that, instead of promoting violence, healthy union activity on campus may encourage an environment of tolerance and debate. They unanimously voted to revive unions in universities with a code of conduct with no tolerance for violent activities. Politics in Pakistan would gain and not lose if healthy democratic culture was promoted in academic institutions.
After the threadbare discussion, the Senate Committee of the Whole unanimously adopted a resolution that said in part:
“The 9th of February 1984 is a day of infamy for the democratic fabric of Pakistan. On this day, the student unions were banned by the passing of Martial Law Orders 1371 and 227. These MLOs were repealed by the democratic government in 1989.”
The Resolution said, “the MLOs banning student unions has put society through a cruel and prolonged suffering for more than three decades; slowly allowing the poison of fundamentalism and sectarianism to seep into the streams of society, stymied campus development and student welfare issues and damaged personal growth of students and culture of healthy debates.”
Finally, the Resolution declared that, “The Constitution of Pakistan vide Article 17 gives every person the right to form association. These recommendations are not in violation of the judgment of the Supreme Court and urge the revival of students unions in the educational institutions and to regulate the same in order to ensure zero tolerance for violent activities.”
It is time to heed the unanimous Senate resolution adopted after thorough deliberations in its Committee of the Whole and revive the students unions.
The writer is a former senator