Evolving campus politics

In 1947 the only established student organisation in the newly created country of Pakistan was the Muslim Students Federation (MSF), the student-wing of the Muslim League. The Muslim League began to disintegrate as Pakistan’s first ruling party. Consequently, the MSF too started to reflect the fragmentary nature of its mother party.

In 1950, a group of students in Karachi formed a progressive student organisation called the Democratic Students Federation (DSF). The organisation’s rapid growth led it to becoming a powerful platform for the students, and it was this initiative that instigated the country’s first widespread student movement.

In 1953, the DSF began to fervently agitate against the ruling civil-bureaucratic set-up of the country, pushing it to be more responsive towards the many academic and economic issues faced by the students. A year later, the DSF was suddenly banned by the government along with the Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP). The government accused the DSF of being the ‘front organisation’ of the CPP, a party that was also implicated (in 1951) for being part of a leftwing coup attempt by Major General Akbar against the Liaqat Ali Khan government.

From the ashes of the DSF another progressive students organisation emerged called the National Students Federation (NSF). By the mid-1960s, the NSF had become the country’s leading student organisation having strong links with left-wing parties and various labour and trade unions. The NSF’s strong presence and electoral strength in colleges and universities at the time aided it to take the lead in the second major students’ movement in the country that erupted in 1967-68. The movement was aimed against the military dictatorship of Ayub Khan, whose regime the students accused of being exploitative and based on “capitalist cronyism.”

In the 1970s, due to deep divides in the NSF, and the formation of Pakistan Peoples Party’s student-wing, the Peoples Students Federation (PSF), the progressive vote on campuses began to split between various leftist student groups and factions. This helped the student-wing of the political-religious party, the Jamaat-i-Islami, the Islami Jamiat Taleba (IJT), make decisive electoral inroads in to the country’s student union politics.

The IJT began a hectic recruiting campaign that included holding ‘study circles’ for new students in which the students were given academic advise and books. Also handed out during these study circles were publications and cyclostyled copies of lectures by the conservative Islamic scholar (and founder of the JI), Abul Ala Mauddudi, and Egyptian fundamentalist firebrand, Syed Qutb.

The IJT dominated student union elections from 1972 till 1977. It also became the most vocal and animated platform on campuses against the regime of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (whom the JI and IJT described as being ‘anti-Islam’ and ‘immoral’). By 1977, the IJT was in control of the majority of the country’s student unions. This helped it to give momentum (on the streets and campuses) to the movement against the populist PPP government of Prime Minister Bhutto. The movement was set off by a JI-led alliance of anti-PPP parties (the PNA).

Apart from the IJT, other student groups such as Aunjuman Teleba Islam (ATI) also took part in the movement. Ironically, also involved were certain NSF factions that had been bitten by Bhutto’s purge (in 1973) against his own party, the PPP’s radical wing. The resulting turmoil triggered military intervention and the imposition of Pakistan’s third martial law by General Ziaul Haq.

The intransigent Zia dictatorship that was initially supported by the JI openly patronised the IJT. The student party went into overdrive in helping the military regime clear the campuses of leftist and pro-Bhutto forces. Besieged by the dictatorship and the IJT, these forces, which included NSF, PSF and progressive nationalist student parties such as the Baloch Students Organisation (BSO) and the Pakhtun Students Federation (PkSF), regrouped to form various progressive alliances.

Three of the most prominent alliances in this regard were the Punjab Progressive Students Alliance (in central and northern Punjab), the Taliba Ittihad and the United Students Movement (in Karachi). The student parties involved in these alliances were PSF, NSF, PkSF, BSO, Istiqlal Students Federation, Quaid Students Federation, and the Black Eagles (a radical student organisation formed by militant PSF and NSF students).

A number of tense battles (involving both the ballot and bullets) took place as these alliances began to agitate against the Zia regime and the IJT, and by the 1983 student union elections, the besieged alliances were largely successful in getting the IJT voted out from student unions across Pakistan.

The progressives’ electoral victory saw the dictatorship suddenly ban student unions in 1984. The draconian decision was vehemently protested against by the students who poured out onto the streets and attacked police and government property. Ironically, the IJT too was part of this movement, but pulled out on the advice of its mother party the JI.

In the absence of student unions and the vanishing of the traditional electoral mechanism on campuses, much violence among student groups followed the ban.

No prominent student movement emerged in the country in the next 20 years. The only mentionable action in this respect involved the All Pakistan Muttahidda Students Organisation (APMSO), which aggressively supplemented its mother party, the Mutahidda Qaumi Movement’s violent tussle with the state and the government in the 1990s. A number of APMSO students were arrested and lost their lives.

Twenty years after the last major student movement in the country (1983-84), students once again became part of an active nationwide political movement, this time during the Lawyers Movement against the Pervez Musharraf dictatorship in 2006-07. However, this time the nature of the students’ participation was different compared to the student movements of 1953, 1968, 1977, and 1984. Large student parties did not take direct part in the movement.

This was an unprecedented happening in which state-owned campuses dominated by established student organisations remained quiet during a major political movement. Instead, smaller independent student groups from private universities undertook a more prominent function. But this also meant that perhaps for the first time the students at large did not play a primary role in a major political movement in Pakistan.

A guide to major student organisations in Pakistan follows:

Islami Jamiat Taleba (IJT)

Formed: 1945

Mother Party: Jamaat-i-Islami

Ideology: Islamic-conservative/fundamentalist.

Strongholds: Punjab.

Militant wings(s):

Al-Badar and Al-Shams.

Groups of militant IJT members formed with the help of the Pakistan Army in 1970-71 to support the (West) Pakistan Army weed out Bengali nationalists in former East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).

Thunder Squad

Formed in the late 1960s to oppose radical leftist student groups and thought on campuses. Also accused of introducing sophisticated firearms in the country’s student politics (in 1979).

Allah's Tigers

Formed in 1989 to check the growth of ‘westernisation’ and ‘obscenity’ in Pakistan. Active between 1989 and 1998. Attacked a number of hotels, mostly during New Year's Eve's celebrations.

Noted Former Members: Shaikh Rashid Ahmed (Former PML-N and PML-Q minister); Javed Hashmi (PML-N politician); Muhammad Ali Durrani (Former PML-Q minister); Hussain Haqqani (ambassador/writer); Farid Paracha (JI politician); Syed Munawar Hussain (JI politician); Muhammad Salahuddin (journalist); Saad Rafiq (PML-N politician); Liaqat Baloch (JI politician); Rana Javed (notorious militant) Dr. Israr Ahmed (Islamic Scholar), Ansar Abbasi (Journalist), Zaid Hamid (TV Personality)

Peoples Students Federation

Formed: 1972

Mother Party: Pakistan Peoples Party

Ideology: Socialist (1972-77); Militant-Left (1978-86); Progressive (1988-present).

Strongholds: Interior Sindh; parts of Karachi; South Punjab; Peshawar.

Militant wings:

PSF-Tipu

Well-armed cell within the PSF formed by Salamullah Tipu in 1979.

Noted Former PSF members: Jehangir Badar (PPP minister); Masroor Ahsan (former PPP Senator); Qasim Zia (PPP minister/former Pakistan hockey player); Wasim Akram (former Pakistan cricketer); Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan cricketer); Kashmala Tariq (PML-Q politician); Shela Raza (former PPP Deputy Speaker); Salamullah Tipu (notorious militant); Najeeb Ahmed (militant).

Muslim Students Federation (MSF)

Formed: 1947

Mother Party: Muslim League (1947-62); Muslim League-Council (1962-69); Pakistan Muslim League (1985-92); Muslim League-Nawaz (1992-99); Muslim League-Quaid (2000-2007); PML-N (2008-present).

Ideology: Conservative-Secular (1947-69); Conservative-Islamic (1985-97); Conservative-Democratic (2000-present).

Strongholds: Punjab.

Noted Former Members: Akhtar Rasool (Former PML-N minister/Pakistan hockey player); Javaad Ahmed (pop singer); Zafarullah Jamali (former PML-Q Prime Minister); Nawaz Sharif (former PML-N Prime Minister).

All Pakistan Mutahidda Students Organisation (APMSO)

Formed: 1978

Mother Party: Muttahidda Qaumi Movement

Ideology: Progressive-Mohajir Nationalist (1978-86); Militant-Mohajir Nationalist (1986-95); Secular-Democratic (1997-present).

Strongholds: Karachi; Hyderabad.

Militant wings(s):

Black Tigers (1987-91)
Nadeem Commandos (1990-95)

Noted Former Members: Altaf Hussain (MQM founder); Imran Farooq (MQM politician); Dr. Farooq Sattar (MQM minister); Mustapha Kamal (former MQM mayor); Syed Haider Abbas (MQM politician); Aamir Khan (MQM-H militant); Rashid Latif (former Pakistan cricketer); Basit Ali (former Pakistan cricketer).

Anjuman Taliba Islam (ATI)

Formed: 1968

Mother Party: Jamiat Ulema Pakistan

Ideology: Islamist (Sunni-Barelvi).

Strongholds: South Punjab.

Militant Wing:

Sunni Thereek (ST)

Noted Former Members: Annas Noorani (JUP politician); Riaz Hussain Shah (ST founder).

Pushtun Students Federation (PkSF)

Formed: 1968

Ideology: Progressive-Pakhtun-Nationalist.

Mother Party: National Awami Party-Wali (1969-77); Awami National Party (1986-Present).

Strongholds: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Noted Former Members: Asfandaryar Wali (ANP politician); Mian Iftikhar (ANP minister); Ameer Haider Hoti (ANP Chief Minister).

Baloch Students Organisation (BSO)

Formed: 1967

Mother Party: National Awami Party (1967-77); Balochistan National Movement (1987-97); Balochistan National Party.

Ideology: Marxist/Baloch Nationalist (1967-99); Progressive/Baloch Nationalist (2000-present).

Strongholds: Balochistan.

Militant wings(s):

Balochistan Liberation Army (1973-77)
BSF-Azad

Noted Former Members: Dr. Abdul Hai (politician); Hasil Bezinjo (politician); Dr. Malik Baloch (politician); Ahmed Rashid (writer/analyst).

National Students Federation (NSF)

Formed: 1956

Mother Party: National Awami Party-Bhasani (1962-68); Pakistan Peoples Party (1968-73); Mazdoor Kissan Party (1974-82); Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party (1982-89).

Ideology: Marxist (1956-83); Progressive (1985-present).

Noted Former Members: Meraj Muhammad Khan (Former PPP minister); Fateyab Ali Khan (politician); Raja Anwar (former PPP member/writer); Tarek Fateh (writer); Dr. Syed Eithesham (writer); Mujahid Berelvi (TV talk show host); Mazhar Abbas (journalist/TV talk show host); Hasan Nisar (journalist/TV talk show host); Faisal Bengali (economist); S. Akber Zaidi (economist/writer); Nafees Siddiqui (former PPP minister); Mian Raza Rabbani (PPP politician); Ameer Haidar Kazmi (former PPP minister); Fauzia Wahab (PPP minister); Imtiaz Alam (journalist).

Democratic Students Federation (DSF)

Formed: 1950

Mother Party: Communist Party of Pakistan (1950-77).

Ideology: Marxist (1956-83); Progressive (1985-present).

Militant wings(s):

Red Guards (1952-54)

Noted Former Members: Dr. Muhammad Sarwar (physician/activist); Dr. Haroon Ahmed (psychiatrist/activist); Hassan Nasir (radical); Ghazi Salahuddin (journalist).

Nadeem F. Paracha is a cultural critic and senior columnist for Dawn Newspaper and Dawn.com.

The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.

Nadeem F. Paracha is a cultural critic and senior columnist for Dawn Newspaper and Dawn.com. He is also the author of two books on the social history of Pakistan, End of the Past and The Pakistan Anti-Hero.

He tweets @NadeemfParacha

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Comments (68) Closed

solute

Apr 15, 2010 08:49am

Muttahida Qaumi Movement is not the mother party of APMSO, instead APMSO is the mother organization of MQM as MQM was formed later by its members......

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Oldie

Apr 15, 2010 11:02am

Good article, Nadeem. Interesting to note that zaid hamid and Ansar Abbasi were once with the IJT. Why am I not surprized. :)

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Goga Nalaik

Apr 15, 2010 09:49am

NFP jee, Nice work for present and next generations. You should have given some details regarding PSF leaders in Rawalpindi who suffered by Zia's regime. Rawalpindi played an important role (1980 - 1986) for PSF and PPP. Keep it Up! Goga Nalaik

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Shandar

Apr 15, 2010 07:30am

Zabardast work NFP. Your history pieces here are working wonders for a whole new generation of Pakistanis most of whom have no clue whatsoever about things other than what they hear on the hyper Pakistani electronic media. This is yet another important article. Thanks.

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dr zahid pervez

Apr 15, 2010 08:59am

In this article writer showed his usual bias against jamiat which unlike her mother party jamaat islami led a historical struggle against zia regime and much earlier against ayub regime.and the way jamiat revolutionised insttitutions in eradicating first year fooling,ragging.cheating in exams,giving female students more liberated protected atmosphere.starting book fares and granting loans to poor students..

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wYSe Guy

Apr 15, 2010 09:03am

It's good, but there's no analysis on why students from government schools did not take part in the agitation of 2007-08, and what can be done to bring them back into political activity.

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Asim

Apr 15, 2010 09:07am

Paracha's work is awesome, everytime he comes up with an important but untouched issue. The above article is an excellent piece to know the dynamics of the sudent politics in the country. Student politics should be allowed in the campuses of educational institution as it breed political leadership but there must be some code of conduct to control them from extremisim and fundamentalism. Thanks!

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Darvish

Apr 15, 2010 09:14am

Again a wonderful piece of writing...very informative........I have heard that the NSF is re emerging ..... is it true?

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Darvish

Apr 15, 2010 09:19am

Secondly , I am pleased to hear that the Mazdoor kisan Party and CPP have merged can you throw some light on its current moderators..I know people like Manto sb and Laal sb have got great leadership skills but what about future keeping in view the current scenario?

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Oldie

Apr 15, 2010 11:04am

I agree Goga. As far as I remember, Pindi used to be a PSF stronghold in the 70s and 80s. But Nadeem is right to pint out that PSF's stronghold in Punjab has shifted to the South of the province.

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Nasser

Apr 15, 2010 11:15am

"jamiat which unlike her mother party jamaat islami led a historical struggle against zia regime" Sir, are you serious? When did IJT struggle against Zia? As NFP correctly puts it, IJT was supported by Zia. Also, Paracha is also correct in saying that IJT did join progressive student groups in their agitation against Zia in 1984 but pulled out on the behest of JI. Everyone knows what role IJT played during the Zia dictatorship. It was Zia's B team in universities and colleges.

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Nasser

Apr 15, 2010 11:18am

The whole act of banning student unions is to be blamed.

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Natasha

Apr 15, 2010 12:06pm

IJT Noted former member : Hussain Haqqani (ambassador/writer) Now that's interesting. You forgot to mention his party affiliation Paracha? Even more interesting!

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Mansoor Warraich

Apr 15, 2010 12:07pm

What is th net result of these facts and figures? JI never was able to win in any national elections? Many of the stalwarts of IJT left their platforms , where they started of. No student organization was able to dislodge any dictator, IJT being in the fore front, pampered by the worst dictator Zial Ul Haq. Clashes between the student wings of the political parties resulted in the deaths of many students. The winning student union bashed the other party and worked like warlords. i saw with my own eyes. JIT in PU interfered in every affair of the university, so much so that when two PhD students were proved to have stolen a thesis from internet to present it as their own, they were protected by IJT and no action could be taken against the cheaters. First thing is to clean the acts of our political parties. The political parties are being run like 'baap ka maal". How can we ever expect the student wings of these political parties to act like true grown ups, when the Godfathers are corrupt to the hilt.The students are being used to fight their proxy wars. untill and unless our political institution comes out clean with a consience , the student wings are nothing but armed groups ready to kill each other. They are hate mongers and must be stopped forthwith.

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Mawali

Apr 15, 2010 12:13pm

Man, those were the days. I am speaking of the 70's. We actualy cared about issues at the local and national level. But then by mid 70's things were begining to go South. Major national political parties were begining to enter the campuses to further their agenda's at the national level. In other words parties who were taking the heat at the national level came to the campuses and started recruiting college kids to go do their dirty work. Leaders of all religious parties not to exclude mainstream (if there is such a thing in Pakistan) politcal outfits were luring students into their ranks not by arguments of idealogy but, monetary offers to include offers of new Motorcyles and Monthly stipends to run for ofices under the party's banner. This was the time your's truly and many of my friends from college took a step back and left the scene literally. The days of simple college unions were over, to be taken over by the thuggery and warped religious zealots. But, I still look back at that wonderful time when we just debated issues without the fear of being run out of town or worse loose our life in the proccess. AMF!

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Ganesh Bhosle

Apr 15, 2010 12:35pm

Hi NFPji, Good work as usual. In my opinion, student politics should be banned. Because 1. In most of the cases student organisation get associated with some political party. 2. Campus become war ground for these parties to fight their proxy war 3. Most of the leaders of these associations are the ones who can not complete their education i.e. they are not students, just the ones who have admission there. If you look at any student leader(In India or Pak), he is old enough to be father of 2. 4. No student who is serious about studies can make significant progress in student politics because he does not have enough time and has many things to loose. 5. These student organisation always need to prove reason for their existence. If there is college where everything is going good, student organisations die out......Counter effect of this is-----student organisations will always find reasons to prove their power and importance...hence unnecessary resistance to something going good becomes the rule. 6. Indian states where student organisations are not present....campus are crime free.

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Rohit

Apr 15, 2010 04:47pm

Right said Ganesh. My college banned any form of student organizations and believe me, we had no issues with crime, goons or even ragging to a certain extent!

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Janjua

Apr 15, 2010 04:50pm

Great work once again by NFP. Thanks Indeed for such a very well written and researched write up. I agree with the writer that IJT has been patronised by our very own establishment. The problem with the liberal and left-wing movements in Pakistan is that they have to deal with the mighty strong and powerful establishment including the military wala's. Then there used to be internal rifts and divisions as well.. The right wing and so called Islamic movements have always been patronised and supported by the establishments and military dictatorships especially that of Zia. Liberal and democratic forces or student movements have always been discouraged and countered by the ruling elite in Pakistan and this is exactly the reason of our current state of affairs. If we would have a single strong liberal and left-wing student movement or a political party, Pakistan would have been in a better situation.

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Jamal Rauf Khan

Apr 15, 2010 05:29pm

it was a pleasure to read all about the student politics in Pakistan, but there are few more things i would like to mention here.There was another student party with NO link with any political party of Pakistan and that was PAKISTAN LIBERAL STUDENTS which was able to won two elections in Karachi University against ijt, once it was Abdul Rahim its presedent, Khurshid as general secretary and Shaheen Kauser its Girls joint secretary, unfortunately its boy joint secretary candidate Malik Salim Akber could not win, next time it was Liberals union two years later with Mustafain Kazmi as its president.

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Bilal Salim

Apr 15, 2010 05:54pm

very nice .. I wonder why your controversial articles get so much attention & articles such as these are neglected

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wYSe Guy

Apr 15, 2010 06:01pm

Didn't the Gilani/Zardari government un-ban unions as soon as it came into power?

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Surendra singh chauhan

Apr 15, 2010 06:25pm

I too agree..

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abdul basit

Apr 15, 2010 06:50pm

agreed

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obaid

Apr 15, 2010 07:49pm

I went to Gulshan College and KU through late 90's and early 2000s. There were Jamiat, APMSO and (in KU) PSA (Punjabi Students Association). Everybody that I knew agreed that all of the three organizations were corrupt and violent. Most of their members had little to do with education and more to do with "Ghunda Gardi". A large percentage of them were in school for twice as much as it would take to finish their degree program. My father who was a teacher at KU for 20 years was at different times blackmailed by each of the above mentioned organizations regarding Attendance, Exam marks etc. I wanted to get involved in extra curricular activities at KU but everything was manipulated by these political parties, including entertainment programs and sports programs. With their involvement came serious violence. It would be interesting to see Student violence death statistics over time to put this subject into perspective.

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Ammar Yasser

Apr 15, 2010 08:09pm

I beg to differ from Mr. Nasser. I'll present two arguments: If you are talking about start of Zia's regime, Maraaj ud Din Khan was Nazim of Jamiat in 84. He was imprisoned for more than a year and had sentence of lashes. If you are talking about Zia's end time, Ameer ul Azeem (today Ameer of JI's Lahore Chapter) was remained imprisoned more than an year. So ineffectiveness of NSF back then was not owing to Zia's backing to IJT coz NSF had endured Ayub's Martial Law as well. The reasons were within themselves.

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Ammar Yasser

Apr 15, 2010 08:11pm

Ameer ul Azeem was Nazim of Jamiat in 87-88

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Imtiaz Ahmed

Apr 15, 2010 09:56pm

Good work NFP, but I am surprised that nobody mentioned the name of "RASHID HASSAN KHAN" a prominent & renowned leader of NSF!

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Apr 16, 2010 09:11am

No. They aren't.

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ramesh

Apr 15, 2010 11:26pm

Hey you forgot about Madrassa student union movement in Pakistan. Jamaat e islami etc. Aren't they part of Pakistani student union movement too?

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Masood

Apr 16, 2010 01:50am

Good work, analysis and conclusion that what we are seeing in our country since last 25 years is because of banned on student unions. Now our educational institutes are producing skill persons but not educated one who can understand the gravity of problem in which our country is engulfed. You can see no positivity in our society. We are living without ideologies and intellectual discussions on student level to solve the issues. You cannot change mindset in the older age, when you ask youngster to think only about yourself and don't waste time in any thoughtful process other than their own fields. So If I cannot feel the pain of others in my early age how do you expect me to think about them in my maturity. First step in promoting the education should be a ban on weapons in all over the country particularly in educational institute and restore of students unions.

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Muhammad.Quddus

Apr 16, 2010 02:11am

The writer deserves admiration. Imagine all the efforts from the young men regardless of their sensibilites. The student body organizations and the meetings and the banners and the student body unions and so forth. But all this for what? In between the assassination of the the first prime minister Liaquet Ali Khan and the assassination of the twice elected President and leader of the major political party just two years ago, it turned out that the forces that drove the engine of Pakistani history simply passed by almost with a death like indifference specially the students and their representatives. Isn't it fair to drive the conclusions that those students who were focused in their studies and used their time effectively had their dividents paid off. There is an expression that the world is for the young. Certainly not for the fools.

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afridi

Apr 16, 2010 02:30am

Salam nfp you always points out the stinking ellement of our pakistani politics.

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Ashok Kaul,bhu

Apr 16, 2010 03:01am

Universities were established as

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sadiq khoja

Apr 16, 2010 04:19am

Agree!

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Asim Saeed

Apr 16, 2010 06:59am

The role of Jamiat is visible to every eye. I agree with Naseer, instead of leading historical struggle against Zia regime they acted as the left hand for Zia during Soviet Invasion. Jamiat had introduced Kalashanov culture in campuses. So talking about Jamiat's role against Zia regime is something unjustified.

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Sher Zaman

Apr 16, 2010 08:18am

Democracy allows freedom of speech and never bans student organizations in colleges or universities. It also important for the student organizations to be democratic and must refrain from engaging in violent protests.

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Apr 16, 2010 09:14am

The media likes to play it safe. Writing stuff like this, on 'taboo' themes of our history, such as Islamists, Al-Zulfikar, Student Politics, religious contradictions etc., is what makes NFP special.

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Apr 16, 2010 09:16am

Banning student unions is not the answer, my friends. Look what happened in Pakistan. The movement was allowed to be hijacked by religious fanatics.

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Nassrer

Apr 16, 2010 09:23am

Ammar, Let's not kid ourself. IJT has been involved in rather shamful episodes of violence for many years now. Again, Paracha is right to allude that IJT did a great job in the 1970s by taking part in student union elections, but the moment they started to get violent and their mother party the JI was associated with the Zia regime, IJT began to lose elections and became almost fascistic. I was a student in Lahore college in 1983. I clearly remember (and as Paracha too has mentioned) that progressive student parties wiped out the IJT in that year's student union elections. And the next thing we knew, Zia decided to ban the unions.

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Nasser

Apr 16, 2010 09:25am

Yes they did. Unfortunately, no action has been taken to impliment the order.

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Khawaja Rehman

Apr 16, 2010 02:38pm

Really wonderful information! It is a great research work summarizing the past of the students' movement role in this country and particularly information regarding the background of some politicians, journalists etc. I highly appreciate it.

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Janjua

Apr 16, 2010 02:47pm

I agree with No... Banning of student unions will result in a rigid and biased society..

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Muzna Ahmed

Apr 16, 2010 02:48pm

I am not aware of whether or not there was any struggle by IJT for zia regime but I do know that it does nothing for improving learning environment for students in any way. I am currently a student in karachi university and therefore am well aware of their 'contributions'. As for cheating in exams, they have disrupted exams and closed down my department once and hence there was no possibility of cheating.. kudos! They have not improved the environment for females either, instead I find them rather interfering. If a guy and a girl are sitting alone, they not only tell them to leave but also warn them about 'consequences'. I believe students at university level atleast are grown and mature enough to decide whats right and wrong and nobody has the right to interfere unless absolutely necessary.

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Pakistani

Apr 16, 2010 03:49pm

Clearly shows how illiterate and ignorant the educated class of this country is

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aaaM Asad

Apr 16, 2010 03:53pm

asdfStudent politics is perhaps Nadeem F. Paracha favorite topic as he has also been the active member of a student body. This is very difficult for a person having some ideological affiliations to write impartially on such sensitive issues. I will praise Mr. Nadeem for this detailed post but would like to correct some horrible mistakes specially related to IJT. First, IJT was formed on December 23, 1947 and not on 1945 as mistakenly written by him. Secondly, the NFD has associated three militants groups with IJT, which is not more than propaganda. Only, Al bader was an organization comprising on students who wanted to see their future with Pakistan. Most of them were Bengalis and not in few hundreds but in thousands. When these Bengali students saw open Indian aggression then they decided to support Pakistan Army. There have never been any existence of thunder squad and Allah

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Saleem from Seattle

Apr 16, 2010 05:42pm

Student unions should not be allowed in educational institutions. The purpose of educational institution is to become disciplined, organized, competent, ready trained to pursue a succesful life or career, and not serve the vested interest of political parties. This is the reason there are no student unions in American or universities of developed countries.

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Mawali

Apr 16, 2010 05:44pm

Haqqani more like a Plagiarist than a writer. He now dances to a different tune and a maestro!

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Masood

Apr 17, 2010 05:54am

Most of the comments which came against the politics in educational institutions itself indicate that we need to channelize the activities of students. If there are students organizations and no student unions then there is no accountability. I was in NED Univ. from 1980 to 1986 that was a last golden days of students bodies in educational institutions. Every organization was accountable of their deeds and during elections students rejected all anti social elements. So with reasonable rules and restrictions from the administration, students unions are must for positive activities in these institutions besides excellent educational standard.

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ali

Apr 17, 2010 06:06am

Fully agreed.

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Boy From USA

Apr 17, 2010 07:27am

My friend, you are getting carried away with some really hollow rethoric. There ARE student unions in American campuses. Not only that, there are student councils in American high schools as well. Students to these unions are elected through annual polls. I guess what you meant to say was that there are no student parties in American universities and colleges. However, in Europe, particularly in Britain, France and Germany, mainstream political parties have their student wings on campuses which take part in annual student union elections.

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Boy From USA

Apr 17, 2010 07:30am

Buddy, I was part of IJT (in the 1980s) and let me tell you there very much was a Thunder Squad. I left for the States in 1989, and it is only now that I realize what a mess IJT made of student politics with its violence. There is no mistake on the writer's part when he mentions the names of the militant wings associated with IJT.

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ali

Apr 17, 2010 09:50am

ijt most of you are talking about zia regime, let the past go off. what is happening now? islami jamiat talaba is organizing book fairs, blood donation camps, sports festivals, free entry test preparation camps etc. they are highlighting students problems and always busy in the welfare of students. if some of them commit a crime it does not mean that all of them are like them.

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ali

Apr 17, 2010 09:55am

violence on the campuses must be stopped but not by banning students organization rather by mutual cooperation and understanding and not by force. every organization is ready to sit on the table.

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Taja Hawaldar

Apr 17, 2010 11:29am

ijt = all these good deeds = what for ? ijt is not an njo explain please Taja Hawaldar

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ali

Apr 17, 2010 12:20pm

ijt is a student organization which objective is to bring the youth to the religion. if christian missionaries can use welfare activities for the preaching of their religion why not muslims?

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aaaM Asad

Apr 17, 2010 01:36pm

This is good to know that you have been the part of IJT. You mentioned "There very much was a thunder squad"! its mean no thunder squad and what about Allah's tiger?

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aaaM Asad

Apr 17, 2010 01:38pm

For helping and guiding students in right directions free of cost.

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Taja Hawaldar

Apr 17, 2010 01:42pm

You didn

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Dawar

Apr 17, 2010 01:43pm

Well, apart fro holding book fairs (in which only a particular kind of books are available) and setting up so called blood banks (which various violent sectarian organizations also do), IT has continued with its politics of intolerance. The recent beating up of a professor by IJT goons at Punjab University and the killing of a youth at Peshawar University by IJT men just because he was playing music in his hostel room is a case in point. the truth is, IJT is the worst thing that happened to student politics in Pakistan.

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anwar

Apr 17, 2010 06:05pm

Nadeem you have done a great job in compiling the data of different student organizations. Our journalist usually don't bother to research before writing, you are the exception. as far as IJT is concern this is the first student organization who brought arms in campus. They are the people who are responsible for ban on student politics. Regarding APMSO, it was the mother party who gave birth to MQM.

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Taja Hawaldar

Apr 17, 2010 08:55pm

Apparently, we are not at the same frequency ...

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Zuhaib Zaman Khuhro

Apr 17, 2010 10:46pm

Mr. Paracha why didn't you mention your affiliation??!! because I am sure you too must be active in student politics in your college/uni days....apart from it I want to correct some of your informetion....APMSO was formed before the MQM...so MQM can't be its mother party...Ms. Shehla Raza is not the former but current deputy speaker of Sindh assembly..

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Masood

Apr 18, 2010 12:18am

Please don't compare western or American system with our country. They have well settled system everything is working on its place. Bureaucrat doing their work in the interest of nation not their own inertest, Military is functioning in the interest of their country under the full control of civilian set up, even Generals are accountable to the most junior member of house of representative, religion is out of politics, politicians are educated and having program for the nation, every citizen has the same rights, health system is very expensive but if you cannot afford it is free for you, education is free for everyone till 12th grade (teachers are committed to the students, they stay late for helping students without any cost even though their salaries are not comparable to other professions where they can make more money).... while in our country the things are in very primitive stage. we need people who are educated with visions and pain for the nation not only for themselves, not only well educated and know how to manipulate the system in their interest....

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azhar

Apr 21, 2010 04:27am

NFP forget to mention IMO (Imamia Student orgnization) whose wall chalking can be seen everywhere in Islamabad.

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Pakistani

Apr 22, 2010 05:07pm

Latest update on IJT & JI Peaking of current activities of IJT as someone mentioned. The JI does not have any seat in the Parliament as they don't have a vote bank anywhere to secure a seat. In-addition they are always involved in anti-state activities.

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hassaan

Apr 23, 2010 08:02am

Well, as Mr. Nadeem sb, himself belong to a leftwing student wing, so he is always harsh against Jamiat... Islami Jamiat Talba has given great sacrifices for the country and for students. but he always ignores them. Jamiat believes in Islamic Identity of the country. and No other organization could be as disciplined and moral as jamiat is seeing its power and major presence in the country's educational institutions. And the reason the other organizations are wiped off are their abuse of power when they were in charge of the campus affairs... and if Jamiat does the same, it will wipe out... so, though you do good research, you are always biased against Jamiat....

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Mughal

May 02, 2010 07:20am

Dear Paracha, a very good article. However, we need to write about values that matter today when it comes to common interest of people locally, nationally and internationally. These values are freedom, secularism, democracy, human rights and separation between religion and state. Unless students and their political groups and parties are based on these values our people will never be successful in putting pakistan on the road to peace, progress and prosperity. We really need to understand that secular democratic politics is about serving people not ruling them with iron fist. It is rule by the people for the good of the people. It is about managing people and the available resources effectively so that people have reasonable living standards and continue improving upon them. Politics should be evidence based business and must not be based on make beliefs of religious minded fanatics nor a matter for religious faith. Mughal.

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Mark @ Israel

May 14, 2010 05:18pm

Nadeem, I appreciate your historical recall of campus politics. But there are few which needed to be modified. Yeah, Campus organizations must be maintained. That is their entrance to politics. But secret student organizations within the campus which are linked to terrorism must be stopped if not regulated.

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