Crackdowns on students, intellectuals hallmark of fascist state: Rabbani

ISLAMABAD: Former Senate chairman Senator Mian Raza Rabbani Tuesday condemned the police action against students in Islamabad and teachers, employees of universities in Peshawar. “The demands of the Federation of all Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chapter, are genuine, they call for setting up a Higher Education Commission at the provincial level, revocation of increase in students’ fees and reduction in allowances of teachers, allowing 25% disparity reduction allowance,” he said in a statement on Tuesday. Raza Rabbani said the baton charge, registration of FIRs and arrest of 21 teachers of various universities is condemnable and their immediate release along with withdrawal of cases demanded.

Similarly, he said students were lathi-charged, arrested and their motorcycles confiscated by the Islamabad police. “This act is condemned and the withdrawal of cases and release of students is demanded,” he said.

Rabbani said such actions against academia and students are not new under the present government. Students in Lahore had been charged under the Anti-Terrorist Act and for sedation. “This is a crude attempt to curtail and clamp down on academic freedom,” he said. He was of view that such crackdowns on students, intellectuals and university professors are a hallmark of a fascist state which cannot tolerate dissent.

He said the clamp down by the state on lawful dissent and denial of the fundamental rights envisaged in the Constitution, 1973 amounts to weakening of the Federation.