Senators hint at revival of students' union

The Upper House of the Parliament started efforts for the revival of the student union in educational institutions of the country and decided on Thursday to pass a resolution towards that end. This was decided in the Senate Committee of the Whole, chaired by Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani, in which it was also agreed to draft a resolution within two weeks with regard to revival of student unions in the educational institutions. The resolution would also include recommendations of the senators.
The Committee of the Whole of the Upper House met to deliberate upon a way forward for restoration of student bodies in academic establishments. Before the start of the discussion, Rabbani remarked that Supreme Court's judgement in 1993 prohibiting formation of student unions does not bar the Senate to legislate for revival of the students unions.
He said that successive governments have restricted the revival of traditional student politics and took shelter in the judicial verdict. Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian (PPPP) Senator Farhatullah Babar, while taking part in the discussion, stressed on examining all the aspects for revival of student unions.
He suggested legislation initially for the federal capital, which would set precedent for the provinces to follow accordingly. Another PPPP Senator Babar Awan was of the opinion that abolishing basic academy of politics resulted in incursion of industrialists in the national and regional politics. He proposed a resolution to be passed by the House for revival of the student unions.
National Party's Senator Hasil Bizenjo, while speaking rejected the impression that the violence in colleges and universities was because of the student unions, adding the government of that time banned the unions to put an end to the politics. He regretted that it is the basic right of the students but it has been denied since long. PML-N Senator Nehal Hashmi advocated for restoration of such bodies while calling them an integral part of democratic norms. He also endorsed the suggestion to pass a resolution of the Senate which should be forwarded to Supreme Court as well as the provincial governments.
He said if the student unions continued to remain banned then ban should also be imposed on the student wings of various political and religious parties within the educational institutions. PML-Q's Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed sketched historical context of student politics and its role during Pakistan Movement and demanded that steps should be taken to revive the student unions.
PPPP Senator Kareem Khawaja suggested looking for experiences of such bodies in foreign countries, adding democratic norms need to be flourished and student unions could support it. Senator Taj Haider strongly encouraged the proposal of restoring student unions, while Senator Usman Kakar proposed to hold a seminar in which representatives of the political parties and legal fraternity should be invited for further deliberations on the subject.
JUI-F Senator Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, who is also Deputy Speaker Senate, however, opposed the idea of revival of the student unions, saying, "We should let our students study instead of dragging them in the politics of unions." Senators Mian Ateeq of MQM, ANP's Shahi Syed, PML-N's General Abdul Qayoom (Retd), Chaudhry Tanvir and Javed Abbasi also supported the proposals to pass a resolution of the house for revival of the student unions in the education institutions.