Senate calls for revival of student unions

House committee formed on opposition demand

ISLAMABAD: In a significant move, the Senate on Monday unanimously called for revival of student unions and on the demand of the opposition, the House decided to refer the matter to the House Committee of the Whole. Unions  were banned during military ruler Ziaul Haq’s era.      

The House also passed five resolutions, four of these were not opposed, but one was by the government.

However, after voice vote twice, the treasury benches had to face a defeat from the joint opposition by four votes. At the time of counting, 13 opposition and nine government senators were present.

 Through the resolution, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Senator Muhammad Azam Swati had called for provision of additional Rs2 billion to the National Counter Terrorism Authority. The resolution led to an interesting debate in the House with majority of senators supporting for more funds to Nacta. The resolution recommended to the government to provide an additional Rs2 billion to Nacta to facilitate its operations for national security.

 State Minister for Interior Muhammad Balighur Rehman,while opposing the resolution, said that the government had provided sufficient funds to the authority to meet its requirements for the time being and it would be provided more resources with the passage of time.  

 He said the authority had been given a central place in Pakistan’s internal security policy. Opposition senators alleged the government lacked the will to fight the menace of terrorism and militancy. Senator Abdul Qayyum said that it was right that requirements of Nacta should be met but alleged the government lacked the will to fight terror and it was just a political gimmick.    

 The resolution on revival of student unions, was signed by PPP’s Rubina Khalid and Hasil Bizenjo of the National Party. Student unions were called nurseries for future leadership.   Senate Chairman Mian  Raza Rabbani, after the debate, in his ruling said that student unions were banned through a martial law order and the reason for this was stated to be violence. 

 However, he continued, in fact Zia felt threatened by student unions, which had played an important role in revival of democracy and sending General Ayub home.

 Rabbani contended that the martial administrator’s order was against the Article 8 of the Constitution, which allows every citizen to form an association of union. For recommendations, he referred to the matter to the committee of the whole house for which a motion would be moved in the Senate afterwards.

 Taking part in the debate, Senator Rubina said that there should be no ban on student unions and alleged the ban on them had created a political vacuum, as majority of present lot of politicians had been part of these unions.

 PML-Q’s Mushahid Hussain Sayed supported the move for revival of the student unions but pointed out that unions had been used negatively in the past for violence.

 “In principle, student unions should be revived but with some checks. Imran Khan was held hostage when he had visited a university not long ago,” recalled PML-N’s Senator Abdul Qayyum and added there should be check on how arms land in unionists’ hands.

 PPP’s Saeed Ghani said the then Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had announced lifting the ban on student unions but it could not done. He did not agree that unions are armed. He charged the generals in uniform were allowed to play politics but those given this right by the Constitution were denied by banning unions.

Ghani emphasised that instead of shutting down institutions, problems in them should be addressed. Senator Nihal Hashmi of PML-N said the ban had deprived the people of their fundamental right.

The senator insisted who could clamp a ban on student unions, which were allowed to work by the Quaid-e-Azam. 

 Senator Amir Kabir of the National Party said there might be some flaws in student unions, but their plus points were more than flaws. He said when the establishment saw students toppling the government of a dictator, it decided to ban student unions.

 Awami National Party’s Shahi Syed alleged the student unions in Karachi were seen extorting bhatta and snatching cars and resorting to violence. 

 Leader of the House Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq also supported the revival of student unions but not without reforms. 

Through another resolution, the House called on the government to ban the VIP protocol.