KARACHI: A practical revival of student unions is necessary to provide the nation with an alternative leadership and put the country on the path of progress and prosperity, said Pasban-e-Pakistan President Altaf Shakoor.
Welcoming the Sindh Assembly for passing a resolution for lifting the ban on the student unions, he said that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah knows the importance of student politics as he was an active student leader during his education days at Karachi NED University. He also congratulated the members of Sindh Assembly for raising this important issue and hoped that other assemblies would also follow suit.
He said that it is an undeniable fact that student politics had provided valuable leaders to almost all political parties of the country. He added that in fact, student politics was a must for flourishing democracy, which is why dictatorial governments were always against allowing youth to take part in politics.
Altaf Shakoor, who in past himself had served as president of the student union of the NED University, said that due to no student unions in educational institutes Pakistani students have been divided into smaller regional, ethnic and linguistic groups instead of being part of a broader national thinking. “They are therefore unable to raise their voice on important national issues as there are no student unions in their educational institutions to debate and discuss these issues,” he added.
However, he cautioned against the excessive meddling of the mainstream political parties in the affairs of student politics. He added that ideological leaning of students towards mainstream politics was a natural thing, but the manipulation of the student politics by power-hungry politicians was not a welcome move.
Shakoor also said that to make students a stronger force to defend the country and to defeat the elements that are spreading anarchy in Pakistan, it is necessary that the culture of student politics should be reintroduced in educational institutions of the country and all stakeholders should play their due role in this regard.
