The Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences, and Technology (FUAAST) has put a restriction on student organization activities, the varsity's interim registrar stated on Wednesday, prompting outrage from those impacted.
The notification said that student organizations are not permitted to organize any type of educational or non-educational activity at the FUAAST.
It further said that students who fail to comply with the directives will have their enrollment cancelled immediately.
Student organizations, particularly the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT) and the Peoples Student Federation (PSF), have expressed alarm over the recent directives.
Basiq Nadeem, an IJT spokesperson, sternly opposed the decision, calling it a "misguided approach that fails to address the underlying issues within the institution."
A PSF spokesperson slammed the action, calling it "undemocratic" and an "expression of dictatorial ideology" against student organizations dedicated to promoting transparency, democracy, and justice.
He pressed that the university administration immediately lift the prohibition on student organizations; otherwise, PSF retained the right to protest against the unlawful action.
Earlier in January, the University of Karachi issued the same directives to prohibit student organizations in response to a violent conflict between two student groups on campus.
It is worth noting that the Sindh Assembly overwhelmingly passed a bill to reinstate student unions across the province's educational institutions in February 2022.