Rabia* is applying to be admitted to a prestigious medical school in Karachi. Aside from the usual paperwork for admission, she must also submit an affidavit to the university administration declaring that she will not partake in any political activity on the campus.
Known among students as the ‘non-political’ affidavit, this is an oath signed by the student to use the premises for studying only and not for politicking. Rabia’s father also has to sign the same affidavit, turning it into a joint declaration that in case she gets involved in any political activity in the varsity, she may be “immediately expelled”.
If Rabia were to violate the non-political undertaking in future, she would face a number of adverse disciplinary actions. These range from temporary suspension of the student for a week, during which the student is not be allowed to enter campus premises temporarily, to rustication or permanent expulsion from the institute. “The nature of the action is subject to the severity of the act of the student,” public relations representatives of four major public universities tell Eos.
In its glory days, the University of Karachi (KU) campus was a seat of not only learning but a symposium to debate anything under the sun that affected its student life. Its alumni, who were also student activists, reminisce about the heated discussions conducted under the session called Rubaru (face to face). It was a face-off between the student body and the academic authority, they say. The vice-chancellor would come to respond to the students’ grievances and there ensued debates that made KU a classic example of a democratic atmosphere.
This is no longer the case at the KU campus nor at other institutes of higher learning.
The Sindh Assembly recently passed a resolution demanding the restoration of student unions. While welcome, the Assembly can do far more than simply pass resolutions. It can act
Dr Syed Asim Ali, adviser for students affairs at KU, says currently there is no student union but every department has a students’ society so students can conduct healthy activities, such as debates, seminars, etc. Earlier, a student representative at least held a seat in the university’s syndicate — the highest platform — to discuss administrative affairs related to the university and students. In 2012, however, the Sindh government amended the universities act and ended student representation on this platform as well.
The environment for debate is not only watered down in the form of students’ societies, but discouraged across campuses in the country.
Hundreds of thousands of Pakistani youth graduate from universities and their affiliated colleges each year. This youth, constituting the majority of Pakistan’s internet users, is exposed to information coming from the world over 24/7. Are students given the space in centres of learning to cultivate and voice opinions based on the information they gather incessantly? Some students may opt to become politicians in the future, but do varsities provide adequate environments or training for them to become politically sensitised?
“Student unions are needed more than ever, today,” says Dr Tauseef Ahmed Khan, a professor at KU’s mass communication department and a student leader in his day. “When a group wins or loses the election, it gets trained in how to behave with those who have lost and how to navigate around the winners. Due to the absence of unions, Pakistan has been deprived of some very fine political leadership,” Dr Tauseef laments.
But public relations officials from the country’s four major public-sector universities — Punjab University (PU), KU, University of Peshawar and University of Balochistan (BU) — say that students are not allowed to form unions or take part in political activities. The situation is not so different in the case of private institutes, including some of the very prestigious ones.