Students provide strength to the fragile democracies and their new ideas play major role in any socio-political change. But in Pakistan students have been refrained from the struggle for socio-political change since February 1984's ban on students' unions. From then it has proved to be the major blow for the democratic process in Pakistan and the political scenario of Pakistan is overwhelming occupied by the few political families.
These views were expressed by President National Student Federation (Punjab) Muhammad Irfan Chaudhry in a press conference at South Asia Free Media (SAFMA) on Wednesday. President NSF Lahore Murtaza Bajwa, General Secretary Abdul Rehman, Ayaz Khan were present on the occasion.
Irfan Chaudhry said that unfortunately the present democratic government despite its announcement of lifting ban on students' unions, democratic government has not restored the students' unions. He demanded that government should immediately announce the restoration of students' unions.
Irfan said that General Zia-ul-Haq policy to put the ban on students' unions and to become part of America's war against Soviet Union in Afghanistan, casted negative impacts on the students and the influx of Afghan drugs and arm dealers promote narcotics and Kalashnikov culture among the students.
He questioned how this government called itself democratic, as has refrained the students (the largest part of the Pakistan's Society) to use their democratic rights. The government should take steps toward the restoration of the activities of students' unions for the sake of democracy. The democratic culture in the university campus would definitely strengthen the democratic process in Pakistan.