Students staged a protest rally under the banner of Progressive Students Collective from Istanbul Chowk to Faisal Chowk on Mall Road against the ban on holding elections of students unions, cut in the budget of higher education and fee hike.
The rally was attended PPP by (Shaheed Bhutto) chairperson Ghanwa Bhutto students from public and private sector universities as well as representatives of teacher, journalists, lawyers and labourers. The students were chanting slogans in favour of their demands.
"The Students Solidarity March is very important," said Haider Kaleem, the organiser of the Progressive Students' Collective and Progressive Students' Federation.
"It can change our lives, on and off the campus, for good." Through the march, he adds, his organisation, and others like it, want to ensure that students nationwide are given the rights guaranteed in the constitution.
The students demanded that all the students under custody should be released immediately. There should be no intervention in universities from outside.
They also demanded that government should allocate at least five per cent of the GDP should be allocated for education. The state should pledge free education for all, committees should be establish to investigate incidents of sexual harassment and women should be part of that committees.
The students demanded that universities should have a library, hostel and provide transport and an internet connection, modernise education systems according to the modern scientific requirements and set up schools and colleges in lesser developed areas, and increase the quota of students coming from outside main cities.
The students also demanded establishment of research centers for a transition from fossil fuel energy to renewable energy in public sector universities. They demand release of all students under custody. They also demand that government should April 13 as a national holiday to honour Mashal Khan
"Many good politicians today once were the part of student unions because student unions are the nursery for young leadership. Therefore, I fully endorse the students demand for "Revival of Student Unions".
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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