Dear Friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the ban on student unions that has been in force since 1985, when military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq issued an ordinance. Successive military and civil governments were failed to lift the ban, even, after the passage of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, which is supposed to have deleted constitutional amendments made during military rule.
Legislators are least concerned about abolishing the ordinance issued in 1985, and the security establishment is not allowing the restoration of student unions.
CASE NARRATIVE:
An alliance of youth with the name of International Youth and Workers Movement (IYWM) has been initiated at the country level. The alliance demands restoration of student unions, to eliminate violence, terrorism, and the undemocratic means being employed by supra constitutional forces, as well as provide space for healthy activities at educational institutions, from schools to universities, including extra-curricular activities.
The military government of General Zia-ul-Haq banned student unions through an ordinance in 1985, in an effort to stop agitation against the Islamisation of education and to prevent democratic functioning of educational institutions. Since then, civilian governments have never gone against the wishes of military establishment. This has also suited the politicians to keep students and the youth out of governance and political issues related to quality education as a fundamental right.
After the ban on student unions, the military government privatized schools, the basic institutions for providing modern and enlightened education. This resulted in the mushrooming of Islamic educational centers, called madrassas. The State stopped funding government schools and promoted madrassas.
These Islamic seminaries, with heavy funding from Arab Countries, then commenced to promote the ideology of a particular sect of Islam, which says Islam does not have any room for western democracy. The madrassas promoted Jihad and militancy and started recruiting militants. Many students turned into suicide bombers, and were exported to neighbouring countries.
Due to lack of resistance from an organized student body, education system both fell prey to regressive ideology in the name of Islam on one hand and subsequently to neoliberal economic policies on the other hand, which gave rise to another set of elite, expensive, money-minting private educational institutions out of reach of the working and middle class. This class is forced to send children to public institutions where the quality of education deteriorated rapidly. As a result, they have been unable to compete with the upper class for jobs and in business, politics and other opportunities, and have been permanently relegated to a subordinate role in society, where they are excluded from all decision-making processes.
Banning student unions is tantamount to muzzling the future generations’ energy, ideas, creativity, passion, and dynamism. Students have played an important role in getting rid of dictators as well as resisting anti-democratic policies of the State.
The ban was part of a larger plan to suppress any dissenting voices. Successive governments, have not, in any meaningful sense, lifted this ban, which has had many negative effects on society. Student unions are independent bodies that need to be distinguished from student organizations, which are mostly linked to political parties. This ban has negatively affected students, the educational system, and society as a whole in Pakistan.
Society lost a platform to demand quality education with decent infrastructure and facilities at affordable price, universally accessible to all citizens and to struggle against policies adversely affecting the education system and the students.
Student unions served as a training ground for future leaders in the national political scene. It provided an entry point for the middle class youth into politics, in a system otherwise controlled by landowners, industrialists, and the moneyed class. Elimination of these platforms robbed the country of the potential talents of these young people.
Unions had earlier provided opportunities for various extra-curricular activities, strengthened democratic values, and helped students become well versed in socio-economic and socio-political issues of society. Many student unions remained active participants in the country’s affairs even if not active participants in politics. Lack of unions, since the banning, has depoliticized students, leading to their complete dissociation from the country’s affairs.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the authorities calling them to restore student unions immediately. Continuing to arbitrarily enforce the ban will generate more intolerance in society.
“The AHRC is writing a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Question of Special Rapporteur on the right to education, calling for her intervention into this matter”.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
PAKISTAN: Restore student unions now!
Name of victim: Students of the country
Names of alleged perpetrators: Government of Pakistan
Date of incident: 1985
Place of incident: Pakistan
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the ban on student unions that has been in force since 1985, when military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq issued an ordinance. Successive military and civil governments were failed to lift the ban, even, after the passage of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, which is supposed to have deleted constitutional amendments made during military rule.
It is appalling that legislators are least concerned about abolishing the ordinance issued in 1985, and the security establishment is not allowing the restoration of student unions.
According to my information that, an alliance of youth with the name of International Youth and Workers Movement (IYWM), has been initiated at the country level. The alliance demands restoration of student unions, to eliminate violence, terrorism, and the undemocratic means being employed by supra constitutional forces, as well as provide space for healthy activities at educational institutions, from schools to universities, including extra-curricular activities.
This is really shocking for me that the military government of General Zia-ul-Haq banned student unions through an ordinance in 1985 in an effort to stop agitation against the Islamisation of education and to prevent democratic functioning of educational institutions. Since then, civilian governments have never gone against the wishes of military establishment. This has also suited the politicians to keep students and the youth out of governance and political issues related to quality education as a fundamental right.
The disgusting situation was after the ban on student unions, the military government privatized schools, the basic institutions for providing modern and enlightened education. This resulted in the mushrooming of Islamic educational centers, called madrassas. The State stopped funding government schools and promoted madrassas.
These Islamic seminaries, with heavy funding from Arab Countries, then commenced to promote the ideology of a particular sect of Islam, which says Islam does not have any room for western democracy. The madrassas promoted Jihad and militancy and started recruiting militants. Many students turned into suicide bombers, and were exported to neighbouring countries.
Due to lack of resistance from an organized student body, education system both fell prey to regressive ideology in the name of Islam on one hand and subsequently to neoliberal economic policies on the other hand, which gave rise to another set of elite, expensive, money-minting private educational institutions out of reach of the working and middle class. This class is forced to send children to public institutions where the quality of education deteriorated rapidly. As a result, they have been unable to compete with the upper class for jobs and in business, politics and other opportunities, and have been permanently relegated to a subordinate role in society, where they are excluded from all decision-making processes.
I emphasize you that banning student unions is tantamount to muzzling the future generations’ energy, ideas, creativity, passion, and dynamism. Students have played an important role in getting rid of dictators as well as resisting anti-democratic policies of the State.
The ban was part of a larger plan to suppress any dissenting voices. Successive governments, have not, in any meaningful sense, lifted this ban, which has had many negative effects on society. Student unions are independent bodies that need to be distinguished from student organizations, which are mostly linked to political parties. This ban has negatively affected students, the educational system, and society as a whole in Pakistan.
I remind you that society lost a platform to demand quality education with decent infrastructure and facilities at affordable price, universally accessible to all citizens and to struggle against policies adversely affecting the education system and the students.
In the civilized world student unions served as a training ground for future leaders in the national political scene. It provided an entry point for the middle class youth into politics, in a system otherwise controlled by landowners, industrialists, and the moneyed class. Elimination of these platforms robbed the country of the potential talents of these young people.
Unions had earlier provided opportunities for various extra-curricular activities, strengthened democratic values, and helped students become well versed in socio-economic and socio-political issues of society. Many student unions remained active participants in the country’s affairs even if not active participants in politics. Lack of unions, since the banning, has depoliticized students, leading to their complete dissociation from the country’s affairs.
I, therefore, urge you to restore the student unions immediately so that violence from the educational institutions must be eliminate and state must realise its responsibility to provide peaceful and extra curriculum activities to students at large.
Yours Sincerely,
……………….
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Mamnoon Hussain
President of Pakistan
President’s Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 9204801, +92 51 9214171
Fax: +92 51 9207458
Email: publicmail@president.gov.pk
2. Mr. Mian Nawaz Sharif
Prime Minister
Prime Minister House
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 1596
Tel: +92 51 920 6111, +92 51 920 6111
E-mail: secretary@cabinet.gov.pk, pspm@pmsectt.gov.pk
3. Mr. Murad Ali Shah
Chief Minister of Sindh
The Government of Sindh Province
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 920 2000
Email: pressecy@cmsindh.gov.pk
4. Mr. Tahir Shahbaz
Registrar
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 9213452
Email: mail@supremecourt.gov.pk
5. Engineer Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman
Federal Minster of State for Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training
Room No.101, Ist Floor, C block Pak Secretariat
Islamabad
Phone: + (92-51) 9213933, 9203944
Fax: + (92-51) 9203742
Email: minister@moent.gov.pk, psminister@moent.gov.pk
6. Mr. Parvez Khattak
Chief Minister KPK
Chief Minister Secretariat,
Shahibzada Abdul Qayum Road, Peshawar
Telephone: 091-9222460-464
Fax 091-9212237
Email: complaints@crckp.gov.pk
7. Mr. Shahbaz Sharif
Chief Minister
Government of Punjab
Province’ Chief Minister
Secretariat’ 5-Club Road
GOR-I, Lahore, Punjab
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 42 99205065
Email: cmcomplaintcell@cmpunjab.gov.pk
8. Mr. Sana Ullah Zehri
Chief Minister of Balochistan
Chief Minister Secretariat
Queeta
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92819202161
Fax: +92819202240
Email: cm@balochistan.gov.pk, ps.cm@balochistan.gov.pk
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
