TOPIC : STUDENT POLITICS IN PAKISTAN

Submitted to

HONORABLE DR.AYAZ KHAN SAHIB

Head of the Deportment of Political Science

Submitted by

USMAN ALI

Student of M.phil –I

Deportment of political science

Hazara University garden campus at Dodial Mansehara

Contents

1) INTRODUCTION

2) STUDENT ROLE IN POLITICS

3) HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF STUDENT UNIONS IN

PAKISTAN

4) PROMINENT PAKISTANI POLITICIANS WHO CAME INTO

POWER VIA STUDENT POLITICS

5) PROMINENT STUDENT UNIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS

IN PAKISTAN

6) CONCLUSION

7) BIBLIOGRAPHY

INTRODUCTION

The history of student unions was present in pre-partition politics, and continued after its strong

presence in the struggle for independence and other national movements.

Quaid-e-Azam saw youth as a major asset for the newly created state i.e. Pakistan and

repeatedly emphasized the role of youth in Pakistani politics. He believed, youth was vital

ingredient to take the country forward.

“Pakistan is proud of her youth, particularly the students who have always been in the

forefront in the hour of trial and need. You are the nation’s leaders of tomorrow and you

must fully equip yourself by discipline, education and training for the arduous task lying

ahead of you. You should realise the magnitude of your responsibility and be ready to

bear it.” – Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

These students were living in a newly created state where representative institutions were weak

or non-existent, and the politics of student unions allowed them to have a powerful voice.

Perhaps it was the strength of that voice which led to political parties and the state unwittingly

colluding to ensure that this voice was silenced. In the interests of both democracy and the

political system, it is imperative then that Pakistan's

young – the country's current majority – are provided with a greater voice and more substantive

involvement in the political system.

However, the current situation obscures the historical reality of the youth's participation in

Pakistani politics reveals a long, influential and revolutionary role of student politics in national

affairs. Students have often served as ideological vanguards for larger political movements, as

well as powerful actors in their own right within the political landscape. The most progressive,

articulate, inspired and dynamic segment of the country’s population is the student’s community.

The formative period of student’s life should be utilized for an all round balanced development

of his/her personality. Political experience constitutes an essential part of this learning

experience. This period prepares one to face the challenges better and enables one to succeed in

life. The much hyped dirty murky nature notwithstanding Politics has the potential to inculcate

qualities like general awareness, keeping abreast with current happenings and above all

leadership qualities in an individual. Student’s who join politics are good orators. They become

assertive by shedding their timid ness and shyness. Tackling problems and solving disputes and

handling crisis situations however small or big they may be, infuses confidence in them. It helps

in developing skills to deal with people from all backgrounds and of all shades of opinion.

Moreover, politics cannot be divorced from a student’s life as he continuously interacts with the

Student’sUnion and various other student associations in college. Students also have a great deal

of exposure to mediums like the press, television, cinema, etc. which are important agents of

political expression. Political science is a vital part of the syllabi both at the school and college

level. political education or training during student life is important for success in life Majority

of the great leaders entered politics during their student life This underlines the role that politics

plays in various stages of a person’s life. Hence, it is futile to shut out students from politics

History is replete with examples of students playing a vital role in over-throwing corrupt

dictatorial regimes, freeing their people from foreign yoke and launching relentless crusades

against social injustice and exploitation.

Student role in politics

The most progressive, articulate, inspired and dynamic segment of the country’s population is the

student’s community. The formative period of student’s life should be utilized for an all round

balanced development of his/her personality. Political experience constitutes an essential part of this

learning experience. This period prepares one to face the challenges better and enables one to

succeed in life. The much hyped dirty murky nature notwithstanding Politics has the potential to

inculcate qualities like general awareness, keeping abreast with current happenings and above all

leadership qualities in an individual. Student’s who join politics are good orators. They become

assertive by shedding their timid ness and shyness. Tackling problems and solving disputes and

handling crisis situations however small or big they may be, infuses confidence in them. It helps in

developing skills to deal with people from all backgrounds and of all shades of opinion.

Moreover, politics cannot be divorced from a student’s life as he continuously interacts with the

Student’s Union and various other student associations in college. Students also have a great deal

of exposure to mediums like the press, television, cinema, etc. which are important agents of political

expression. Political science is a vital part of the syllabi both at the school and college level. This

underlines the role that politics plays in various stages of a person’s life. Hence, it is fu tile to shut out

students from politics.

History is replete with examples of students playing a vital role in over -throwing corrupt dictatorial

regimes, freeing their people from foreign yoke and launching relentless crusades against social

injustice and exploitation. Majority of the great leaders entered politics during their student life.

Therefore, political education or training during student life is important for success in life. Their clout

is so great that they could even go against the general peop le’s verdict. Where politicians fail, they

succeed easily. The power of the youth is a mighty river, waiting to be channelized. The politics of a

particular system determines whether this happens in a constructive or destructive manner.

However, there is a limit to the extent of a students’ involvement so that a balanced participation

does not affect his main purpose, which is to study. While he is not expected to remain passive in

the face of criminalization of politics, dismantling of democratic organizat ions, corruption,

communalism and casteism, he should not indulge in factional or partisan politics, or give into the

unjust directions of senior party leaders. The student wing should herald the new, only then do they

deserve to be called the promise of tomorrow. A better tomorrow.

Historical background of Student Unions in Pakistan

Students constitute to a big mass strength of every nation and the same is in Pakistan.

History of student Union ship in Pakistan goes back to the Pakistan movement. Muslim

Students Federation (MSF) was the first student union founded for the cause of an

independent state for Muslims and the role of students in the Pakistan movement is

acknowledged. After Pakistan came into being Quaid e Azam advised students to

alienate themselves from the politics and merely focus on the studies. Quaid while

addressing students at Islamic College Peshawar on 12 April, 1948 said,

“My young friends, I look forward to you as the real makers of Pakistan, do not be

exploited and do not be misled. Create amongst yourselves complete unity and

solidarity. Set an example of what youth can do. Your main occupation should be in

fairness to yourself, to your parents, in fairness to the State, to devote your attention to

your studies. If you fritter away your energies now, you will always regret.

Develop a sound sense of discipline, character, initiative and a solid academic

background. You must devote yourself whole-heartedly to your studies, for that is your

first obligation to yourselves, your parents and to the State. You must learn to obey for

only then you can learn to command.”

The role of students as a mass force was supposed to end up with the emergence of

Pakistan as an independent state on the map of the world and in accordance with

Quaid’s advice to the students that they should devote themselves to the studies as

their first obligation. Unlike Quaid’s advice what happened was that more and more

student unions were founded which resulted into the fraction between the students and

development of rivalry with each other. Democratic Students Federation (DSF) and

Islami Jamiat e Talaba (IJT) were founded soon after the creation of Pakistan. With the

passage of time many political parties came into being in the country and almost every

party laid down the foundation stone of a new student union. Every party tried to

strengthen itself by creating a lobby into the student, hence another rift in students.

Some ethnic groups in the country also penetrated into the students and established

their own groups such as Pakhtun Students’ Federation (PKSF), Baloch Students’

Organization (BSO), All Pakistan Mohajir Students’ Organization (APMSO), etc.

As a result of establishment of these unions students were manipulate in various

political movements of the country and agitations against the government. Political

parties started making direct involvement in the students’ affairs and sponsored the

elections of the office bearers of unions. These acts of political parties doomed many

academic institutions by distracting the students from their main task and involving them

into the power politics. It also divided the students in different fractions confronting each

other. These, students were subsequently exploited in the hands of political leadership

of the country who used them for their political motives. Gradually the politics in

academic institutions became common under the patronage of political parties. Since,

these student unions were formed not for the welfare of the student community but for

using them in the political war game, therefore, these unions became a parallel strength

to the state, challenging the authority of the state at many occasions. Also that instead

of competent students, goons started holding offices of the unions.

This resulted into the creation of power units in the universities and colleges and side by

side gave rise to the misuse of power and corruption by the members of union. Use of

arms against the rival students as well as the administration became usual. In some

cases extortion of money from the transporters, contractors working in the institution

and nearby business proprietors by threatening them also happened. Serious academic

students were harassed to join the unions and were forced to become part of the

processions, agitations and protests against government. Those who refused were

punished and victimized. However, this student union culture dominated the academic

culture and spoiled the quality of education being imparted from number of prestigious

academic institutions. Concerned parents were compelled to choose the private

institution for their children upon the government institutions, where unions operated.

The story did not end up just here but member students of one union also became

victims of the rival groups when their patron political parties came to power. Overall

student unions adversely affected the academic institutions severely, instead of giving

any benefit.

Sensing the negativity taking breed through student unions, these were once banned in

1984 but that ban could survive only till 1988, when it was lifted again. At present

dozens of student unions are operating in different colleges and universities of Pakistan

and a recent development is that of Insaf Student Federation (ISF) under the patronage

of Pakistan Tehrik e Insaf, which raises the slogan of justice and welfare in the society.

The question which so far is going unanswered by the sponsors of ISF is that how this

union is going to be distinct in its role from that of many other student unions in the

country? How it would be ensured that students belonging to this union are not

exploited and misled?

Prominent Pakistani Politicians Who Came Into Power Via Student Politics

1) Javed Hashmi

He is currently president Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).During his student life he was the president of student union in Punjab university.

2) Liaqat Baloch

He is currently General Secretary Jamaat-e-Islam Pakistan. During his student life he was the president of student union in Punjab University.

3) Jahangir Badar

He is politically affiliated with Pakistan People Party and currently he is the Secretary General of PPP. During his Student life he was the President of the Hailey College of Commerce student union

4) Altaf Hussain

He is politically affiliated with Muttahida Quami Movement and currently he is the Quaid of MQM. During his Student life he was Founder of All Pakistan Muttahida Students’ Organization.

5) Ahsan Iqbal

He is politically affiliated with Pakistan Muslim League (N) and currently he is the Information Secretary of PML-N. During his Student life he was the President of the Engineering University Students Union

Prominent student Unions and Organizations in Pakistan

Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba

Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT) is an independent student wing, but share its ideological basses

with Jamaat-e-Islam party in Pakistan. It is currently the only student’s organization which has its routes in whole Pakistan. The IJT's stated mission is to eliminate the non-Islamic factors and the secularism from the curriculum and teachings of the educational institutions of Pakistan. The IJT was known in the 1980s for its militant nature and was one of the student unions temporarily banned in 198.Today the group is active and continues to be a source of recruits for the Jamiat -e-Islam

Party though many of its members, after completing their tenure, have also joined other political parties.

Muslim Student Federation

Muslim Student Federation or MSF is a conservative Pakistani political group that was started on September 1, 1937, in Calcutta, India by the old All-India Muslim League.[21]The group has a wing in Pakistan that is led by Rana Arshad and Rana Hassnain leading in Punjab as senior vice president along with coordinator Green Tiger Punjab with Mariam Nawaz Sharif and Atif Rauf. He belongs to south Punjab hometown is Bahawalnagar. The student federation has also been known to engage in fights previously with some of the progressive student federations and exhibit an independent mildly conservative nature.

In Pakistan MSF-N is aligned to the PML-N, which is a centre-right party (now in government) and its

student wing is very liberal/conservative nowadays

National Students Federation]

National Students Federation (NSF) was formed from the remnants of the Democratic Students Federation when it was banned in 1956.[25] The group is a self-proclaimed revolutionary communistic left-wing student federation whose stated goals are to:

1. Struggle for a class free education system and all rights of the student community

2. Struggle for free education for all

3. Struggle for improvement in the conditions of all educational institutes

4. Promote peace, tolerance and unity amongst students

5. To link students with the international movements against capitalist, imperialist oppression

In 2008 the group was reorganized during the Lawyers' Movement, and now primarily operates out

of Punjab, though its values remain mostly the same and just like the DSF gave birth to powerful NSF in a siamlir way the NSF has helped give birth to the proramme of the recently formed Insaf Student Federation (ISF)

Peoples Students Federation[

Peoples Students Federation is a youth-led party organisation attempts to mobilise the youth for

Peoples Party candidates for the Youth Parliament. It also has the separateTrotskyist-Marxist wing, “The Struggle”, which is internationally affiliated with International Marxist Tendency (IMT); the student wing, the Peoples Students, a student-outreach organization with the goal of training and engaging a new generation of centrist leaders pro-feudal pro-American and Pakistan Peoples Party-Zaradri members. Though the history of PSF is jam-packed with the sacrifices of young blood but during the Zia era a group of students, namely Sahar Dubir Sunny, Jamshed Butt (Kh Jamshed Imam) and Tanver Khakwani played a unique role under the hot water. Jamshed Butt (KH Jamshed Imam) but was the mastermind of political activism and Sunny and Tanveer were his wings to fly. He wrote and spoke throughout the ruling days of Zia against his bad deeds.

Insaf Students Federation]

Insaf Students Federation (ISF) was formed by chairman khan of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, (PTI) and it has the simple majority from the Center-left and Centrist Student Organisations esp. the National Student Federation and Liberal Student Federation when it became Poltically Activate in the late 2000s during the "Nation-wide Lawyers Movement" and other anti-Musharraf activities and it sees itself as the "True Follower of the old NSF" and the "PSF as a fake break-away group" from the old NSF. The federation has similar to the old NSF both right and left wing factions and it is a self-proclaimed Radical/Progressive Social Democratic a federal student organisation whose stated goals are to Struggle and fight for free education, free health system and welfare state for the poor and working class Pakistani people and defending rights of the student community based on social justice and democratic ideals.

All Pakistan Muhajir Students Organization

All Pakistan Muhajir Students Organization (APMSO) was founded in 1978 at the University of Karachi by Altaf Hussain.[28] Unlike other student political organizations, APMSO spawned its own national political party in 1984, the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM).[29] While the APMSO platform has some liberal elements to it, at its core it is the ethnic political party of the Muhajir, an Urdu speaking people who immigrated from India in 1947.[30] This student organization has also been involved in violent clashes with other student political organization, which have resulted in over 20 deaths since the group's founding

National Students Federation (NSF)

One of the oldest progressive student organizations in Pakistan. Began as the student wing

of the Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP). Exhibited electoral supremacy in student union elections through the 1960s and early 1970s. Was at the forefront of the movement against

the Ayub Khan dictatorship in 1968. Experienced a split in early 1960s when a pro-China

faction broke away and formed the Democratic Students Federation (DSF). Electoral influence started to vain from 1973 onwards as another faction broke away and formed the

Liberal Students Federation (LSF).

In the late 1970s and 1980s the NSF became part of the progressive electoral alliances, the United Students Movement (USM) in Karachi and the Progressive Students Alliance in

Punjab. Currently the NSF has a small presence in a couple of colleges in Sindh, Punjab

and Azad Kashmir.

Ideology: Marxist (1960s-70s); progressive (1980s-90s).

Famous former members: Miraj Mohammad Khan (former minister); Fatyab Ali Khan

(politician); Raja Anwar (former minister/writer); Ammanullah (politician); Dr Haroon Ahmed (psychiatrist

Pukhtoon Students Federation (PSF)

is a leftist and nationalist student organization and a student wing of the Awami National

Party formally known as (National Awami Party) Pukhtoon Students Federation was formally founded on 8 April, 1968, at the historical tomb of the national hero Khushaal Khan Khattak at Akora Khattak (Nowkhar), Pakhtunkhwa. It was initially formed by a group of nationalist students, but became a platform for the welfare and awareness of Pukhtoon students, and members started to work closely with other nationalist forcesIt is present in numerous educational institutions of Pakistan. Every student belonging historically to the regional Pukhtoonkhwa irrespective of his/her color, race language and religion can become a member of PSF. khan launched and organized PSF and became its Central Executive Committee member during the national uprising against the dictatorship of General Ayub Khan. Pukhtoon Students Federation opposed the military dictatorship of General Yahia Khan who replaced Ayub Khan through a coup-de-etat in 1969; Yahia Khan

banned PSF along with all political activities

Imamia Students Organization

Imamia Students Organisation is a Shi'a Muslim students organisation in Pakistan. It was founded by Dr. Mohammad Ali Naqvi on 22 May 1972 at University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore. In 2012 it had "around 1200 units in Pakistan,"[19] covering all the five provinces of Pakistan, Tribal areas, Azad Jamu, Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.

The Goal of this Organization is to set the lives of the young generation in accordance with the teachings of Quran and Mohammad-o-Aal-e-Mohammad (as), so that they may become good

Human beings and Momins, and may defend the Highness of the Holy Religion and the geographical and ideological boundaries of Pakistan

Allegations were directed against ISO that they receive funding from Iran. ISO counters those allegations, stating that they only receive moral guidance from Iran

.

Democratic Students Federation

Democratic Students Federation (DSF) was founded in 1949, and being the oldest leftist student federation in Pakistan many other left leaning student political organizations can trace their heritage back to this group.[6] The DSF was banned in 1956 because of its political association with

the communist party, which resulted in several other student groups forming from its ashes, like the National Students Federation and the Liberal Students Federation.[25] The DSF was allowed to reorganize in 1980, and grew in popularity because of its connection to the then powerful Soviet

Union. This popularity faded after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the group restructured itself in 2011 to adapt to more current issues. The groups stated mission is to, “bring back the balance of power to the students in universities which is formerly lost.”

Youth Parliament of Pakistan

Youth Parliament of Pakistan (YPP) is a democratically oriented activism group started in

2006.[citation needed] The group does not a political or religious affiliation, and primarily works on educating the youth of Pakistan about the ideas of democracy.[36] In 2009, YPP started the Youth Action for Democracy in collaboration with the United Nations Democracy Fund. This project was aimed at increasing democratic education and youth participation in politics in the districts of Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtoonkha, Sindh, and Azad Jammu Kashmir