Sindh Restores Students’ Unions After Almost 4 Decades

Governor Sindh, Imran Ismail, on Wednesday, signed the Sindh Students Union Restoration Bill 2019 that was recently approved by the provincial assembly.

“The students’ unions are entrusted with the responsibility to work for social and academic welfare of students and to ensure the protection of rights and interests of all students,” he said in a statement issued from the Governor House.

The Governor said that besides promoting and strengthening relations between students and educational institutions, these unions will also facilitate the organization of cultural, intellectual, and other extracurricular activities to make them responsible citizens.

“With the restoration of students’ union, students would play a positive role to assist the educational institutions in maintaining discipline and ensure respect for teachers and staff of the educational institutions,” he added.

The promulgation of the ordinance came weeks after the Sindh Assembly unanimously passed the Sindh Students Union Bill 2019, paving the way for the restoration of students’ unions in educational institutions after over 38 years.

Students’ unions were banned in 1984 during the regime of Gen Zia-ul-Haq. The ban was lifted during the Benazir Bhutto-led Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) first government in 1989, but in 1993 the Supreme Court put a blanket ban on political activities by students on campuses.

Now, Sindh will be the first province to revive the students’ union after the enactment of the law.