Islamabad, Pakistan (CU)_ Hundreds of students marched in Pakistan to mark the 38th anniversary of former President General Ziaul Haq’s ban on student unions. According to the media, the demonstrators urged all political parties to work together to enact laws in parliament to decriminalize student politics. The Pakistani journal stated that criminalizing politics in university campuses has had a disastrous impact on the democratic process and especially on youth development.
Additionally, the students encouraged all major political parties to take action to restore student unions at all schools and institutions. Accordingly, the students marched to mark the 38th anniversary of the prohibition of student unions. The march was participated by hundreds of students who walked to remember the 38th anniversary of former President General Ziaul Haq’s prohibition on student unions.
Members of numerous left-wing and ethnic national organizations assembled at the National Press Club (NPC) and marched to the F-6 Supermarket under the banner of the Progressive Students Federation (PrSF). According to the media, the march included trade unionists, academics, progressive political activists, and regular individuals.
According to the statement from the students, the criminalization of politics on college and university campuses over the last forty years has had a terrible effect on the democratic process in general as well as on youth development. According to the media, the protest demanded the following: lifting of the ban on student unions and the immediate holding of nationwide student union elections, an end to educational institution privatization, reimbursement of fees taken after increments, universal free education, reversal of education budget cuts imposed by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), and freedom to organize political activities on campus.
