‘Student unions be restored only with preconditions’

LAHORE:Tanzim Islami (TI) Ameer Hafiz Akif Saeed has demanded that student unions should be restored but only with preconditions ensuring that anti-Islam and anti-Pakistan elements do not sneak into them, and the dignity of teachers and peaceful academic environment be upheld by them.

Addressing a meeting on Friday, Hafiz Aakif Saeed recalled that student unions were banned on charges that they had converted the colleges/ universities into battle arenas by promoting the agenda of their respective political parties, trampled dignity of teachers and threatened even the vice chancellors of universities. He demanded strict code of conduct and discipline before restoring student unions.

He strongly condemned the recent students’ movement across the country accusing the participants of pursuing anti-Islam and anti-Pakistan agenda. He argued why participants in red outfits chanted slogans of “Asia is Red” despite that communism and socialism (leftist ideologies) had become defunct and had been buried even in those countries once considered the cradles of these ideologies. Most importantly, he said, the slogans raised against the blasphemy laws (Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code) had proved that the participants were proponents of anti-Islam ideologies and notions.

Moreover, he said, the participation linked to Manzoor Pashteen in the movement had put their loyalty to the state in question. He said their slogans also showed the students’ movement had complete backing of such NGOs trying to destroy the social system of the country through social engineering. He said it appeared that enemies of Islam wanted to create chaos and instability in Pakistan and were using these so-called ‘students’ to achieve their sinister objectives.