The Senate Committee of the Whole met on Wednesday and discussed the revival of student unions in educational institutions, especially in colleges and universities across the country.
The body took up the agenda items including proposals and input by the panellists, including the minister of state for federal education and professional training, secretary ministry of interior and provincial chief secretaries regarding revival of student unions.
The interior secretary briefed the committee about the background of student unions, their positive and negative perspectives, and Pakistani laws regarding them.
He told the committee that vice chancellors of the universities should also review the unions as they are in favour of the students.
He further said that students were allowed to adopt their political, or any other activity, outside their campuses.
He said that union elections should be conducted and students with good characters should be allowed to contest them. The committee urged the secretary interior to examine the hurdles in the way of unions, including violence, political activities etc.
The secretary replayed that the Ministry of Interior will check the laws and suggested the regularisation of unions to avoid any violence.
The committee expressed their interest in the constitution of unions in educational institutions and suggested that they be regularised.
The members told the committee that students had approached them to revive unions. The members referred to the unions before the creation of Pakistan and said that Quaid-e-Azam mobilised students for the movement of a new country.
The committee said that unions were the need of the hour and should be allowed to work in schools, colleges. The committee also observed that VCs and professors have their own role, and they should be inducted.
Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani asked the secretary interior to hand over a copy of the recommendations to the senate secretariat regarding student unions so that the committee could discuss the suggestions.
Sindh Chief Secretary also briefed the committee about the initiatives taken by the provincial government regarding unions, and their importance in educational institutions.
At the end, Mian Raza Rabbani and other members of the committee strongly condemned the terrorist attack at the Bacha Khan University.
The chairman said that the Pakistan Army was engaged in curbing terrorism from all over the country with the full support of the nation.
The committee showed its sympathies with the families of the deceased persons and prayed for the early recovery of those injured in the incident.
He said that the operation against terrorism would be continued until the elimination of every terrorist.
