Student unions

January 30, 1984 continues to be remembered by Pakistan’s student activists as a dark day in the country’s history for it was on that day that former president Ziaul Haq’s military regime had banned student unions on the country’s educational institutions. Since then, students have actually had to take an oath not to participate in political activity while pursuing their studies. Sadly, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has also recently endorsed the ban, saying that the restoration of student unions would adversely affect education and lead to partisan polarisation and even violence on campuses.

First and foremost, we must remember that our Constitution’s Article 17 (i) clearly states that “Every citizen shall have the right to form associations or unions, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of sovereignty or integrity of Pakistan, public order or morality.” The ban on student unions certainly violates this Article and is therefore unconstitutional. It simply cannot be said that student unions have ever posed a threat of any kind to the country. What is, however, needed is a comprehensive and enforceable code of conduct which aims to achieve strident political and social activism through civilised and non-violent discourse and debate.

Secondly, we must keep in mind that student unions play a very important role in grooming a country’s future political leaders by providing students opportunities to debate issues and recommend solutions to problems the country faces. To continue the ban on them would, therefore, be to stifle students’ intellectual growth and deprive the nation of fresh leadership. Thirdly, student unions are important in the context of resolving issues being faced by students. This, in case of a university, is done by reserving a seat for a students’ representative in the university’s syndicate — the highest platform to discuss and address students’ issues. The key, however, is the strict enforcement of a code of conduct that also allows for proper punishment for violators.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4^th, 2020.

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