QUETTA: On the occasion of February 9, the Baloch Students Action Committee (BSAC) issued a statement demanding the restoration of student unions, which have faced a ban for more than four decades.
In its statement, BSAC said that February 9 is remembered in Pakistan’s history as the “Day of Infamy,” as it was on this day in 1984 that student unions were banned across the country. The ban was imposed during the authoritarian rule of General Zia-ul-Haq through Martial Law Orders (MLOs) No. 1371 and 227. As noted by Amnesty International, “Under Zia’s martial law, the ban was justified as a measure to prevent campus violence, but in reality it was an excuse to crush students’ political activities.”
The spokesperson stated that although there is a common perception that the ban was lifted with the return of a democratic government in 1989, the reality is that no concrete steps were ever taken to repeal it. Instead, in the case of Muhammad Ismail Qureshi vs. Muhammad Owais Qasim (Secretary General, Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba), the Supreme Court granted legal cover to the ban. Under this ruling, students were required to submit an affidavit at the time of admission declaring that they would not take part in any political activity. As a result, students were deprived of their fundamental rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association.
BSAC stated that it believes this denial of students’ rights constitutes a grave violation of fundamental human rights and runs contrary to the principles of natural justice. For the past 42 years, a complete ban on student unions and a system of academic repression have remained in place. Students have been denied their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful protest, and organization rights guaranteed by international human rights laws and Pakistan’s own Constitution.
The statement further said that expressing one’s views, holding peaceful assemblies, and participating in student politics are basic constitutional rights. Depriving students of these rights places them in a state of mental distress and anxiety, preventing them from engaging in legitimate activities that are essential for a peaceful society. Granting students their political and social rights would give rise to new ideas and enable them to guide the nation toward enlightenment and prosperity.
The statement concluded by demanding that the incumbent government revisit this four-decade-old decision and immediately lift the ban on student unions. BSAC reaffirmed its resolve that its organizational efforts will continue even under repression and that its voice will not be silenced. “We will remember, we will resist, and we are determined to reclaim our rights,” the statement said.
