The National Students Federation (NSF) has decided to come out of the closet after more than 20 years of slumber and re-launch its activities in Karachi – from where the revolutionary left-wing students group started its journey in 1956.
Announcing the start of its activities from the University of Karachi (KU), the NSF Karachi wing has decided to hold a welcoming reception for the students admitted to the university in the new academic session starting from January, where the student organisation will also invite the newcomers to join the revolutionary group.
Talking with Pakistan Today, NSF Karachi organiser Khurram Ali said the preparations for organising the welcome party are almost complete and it would announce the launch of the revived students’ group.
“This time, the NSF will not serve to be the student wing of any political party,” he said. “It will be a pure student organisation, as the members have reaffirmed their stance of remaining a students’ group rather than a student’s wing of any particular political party.”
“On November 26, the NSF Punjab circle organised a great convention in Faisalabad after 20 years,” Ali added.
In 2010, it was decided to re-launch the NSF as a political wing of the Mazdoor Kisan Party but later the student group reiterated to be just a student organisation without any political influence.
Since then, efforts were geared up for the comeback and now the NSF Karachi is in a position to restart its activities after a prolonged gap.
“The NSF is back with the cause to provide a platform to students with progressive thinking to gather for a socialist system in the country,” the federation’s city organiser said.
To a question, he replied that the revived NSF would only focus on student politics and not on country’s politics. “[However], if we are able to gather enough students and likeminded people in the future, we may launch a political party itself. We stand firm over our stance of not becoming a part of any political force that later uses NSF as a tool for achieving its goals, as in the past,” he maintained.
Ali said a core-committee has been formed with representation from all NSF provinces circles, while all NSF circles have chalked out their own strategies and policies for the comeback.
To another question, he said that different strategies does not imply that the different wings are not on the same page but rather they have devised their own policies keeping in view the situation in their respective areas. “All circles have their representation in the core committee and everything is being done with its approval.”
“The NSF has also extended its support to Baloch Students Organisation (BSO), Pakhtunkhwa Students Organisation, Jammu and Kashmir National Students Federation, Jammu and Kashmir People’s National Students Organisation (JKPNSO) for building their presence in their respective areas,” the NSF Karachi organiser added.
Quoting the example of BSO, he said the Baloch nationalist group had asked NSF for helping to build their presence in Balochistan. Likewise, the NSF extended support to JKPNSO for establishing the socialist federation while overlooking influence from India and Pakistan, he added.
Ali further said the NSF has also started contacting the neglected populace of rural areas. “The [NSF] members have started working in rural areas for helping the people to prove themselves as stakeholders at a national level.”
