December 01, 2019

Youth in Pakistan challenge shackles of oppression

topic:	Democracy
located:	Pakistan
editor:	Shadi Khan Saif

Seeing youngsters worldwide striving to take charge of their own destinies, the youth – representing more than 50 per cent of Pakistan’s population – have finally risen to demand political space and stronger voice in the state of affairs.

In an otherwise murky political arena dominated by nexuses among the military, feudalism, religious fanatics and a variety of mafias, the site of emerging educated youth is a breath of fresh air for the country.

On Friday, November 30, streams of youngsters from various academic institutions mobilized to call for reinstating the right to form student unions in the varsities across the country. Impressive rallies were staged in cities including Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad and even smaller towns, with students from diverse backgrounds uniting for their democratic rights and liberties.

The impressive series of marches were organised by the Student Action Committee, a newfound umbrella group of left wing, progressive student groups that demanded for the right of forming unions in campuses so that the government can be pushed for reforms in matters such as fee and syllabus issues and beyond.

This was despite the continual intimidations signifying the youth is truly the real driving force for a democratic change in the country that has a dark past of decades of direct military rule and indirect supremacy.

This right was first snatched from the students under the ruthless military dictator, Gen. Ziaul Haq in the 1980s. Since then, only an engineered politicization of the student lot has been allowed with selected groups of political parties encouraged by the state forces to set up student wings for any eventual necessity.

It has been too long since then as the youth, particularly the educated ones, in the country of over 200 million has been held hostage by the elite that seems utterly detached from modern realities and only interested in maintaining the status quo for their own wasted interests.  

The Pakistani youth need to draw inspirations from their peers in Hong Kong, and the Greater Middle East who have challenged the shackles of oppression.

Image: Students and teachers rally against climate change at a school in Islamabad, Pakistan, as part of a global day of youth action, Workers World 

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