Campus violence: Sindh varsity, political parties agree on code

Debate kicked off after a student’s murder allegedly by political activists.


Z Ali June 09, 2011

HYDERABAD:


After forming a 24-point code of conduct with the nationalist parties, Sindh University is hoping to achieve some measure of peace on campus.


The debate to rid the campus of all types of hostile political activities kicked off after the killing of a student, Rameez Suhag, in March this year. The finger was pointed at students belonging to a political party.

On Wednesday, a monitoring committee announced the agenda in front of political parties, civil society members and the university administration. The meeting was presided over by Pro Vice Chancellor Dr Parveen Shah on behalf of the vice chancellor who is away. Mehtab Akbar Rashdi, Dr Muhammad Suleman Shaikh, Registrar Dr Muhammad Siddique Kalhoro, Taj Joyo, Ibrar Kazi, Jami Chandio, Amar Sindhu, Arfana Mallah, Aajiz Dhamrah of the Pakistan Peoples Party and leaders of eight nationalist parties attended the meeting and presented their recommendations.

This meeting was a follow-up to the April 17 all parties conference, which was convened by the Sindh University to spare the campus from violence. It took both sides over 50 days and several meetings to reach a compromise.

According to the agreement, a student welfare association will be set up to elect student leaders under the supervision of the monitoring committee. This will be an interim arrangement until student unions are revived.

Lifting the ban on student union elections has been a persistent demand of nationalist parties, who have a strong presence in the three universities in Jamshoro district, predominantly Sindh University.

“All political parties have agreed to implement the code of conduct,” said Dr Shah. All banners, posters, flags and wall-chalking would be removed during the summer vacations. “The political leaders are on board for the move.”

Under the arrangement, students who have passed out from the university will not be allowed accommodation at the hostels, where students will not be allowed to keep weapons. Students implicated in crimes will be rusticated without any objection raised by a political party and the campus will not be used by political parties to garner support for any national or political cause.

For their part, the teachers will maintain an academic environment on campus by taking their classes regularly and not offering favours to certain students. The attendance eligibility for sitting exams will be checked by the dean and chairman of a department in addition to the exams director.







Published in The Express Tribune, June 10th, 2011.

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