REVIVAL OF STUDENT UNIONS: A PATHWAY FOR DEMOCRATIC VALUES AND LEADERSHIP IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

A country where more than 60% of the population is young cannot separate them from politics, a citizen who is eligible to cast vote at the age of 18 is still a student have right to engage himself in political activities, student unions are the platform where students learn political behavior, polish leadership qualities and learn how to lead and address the issues. Students have played a significant role in shaping the country's policies before and after the formation of Pakistan, and launched countrywide movements. This platform provides strong leadership to the country, banned on February 9, 1984, many efforts were made for the revival of union but couldn’t revive it as in the era of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, many promises were made by high officials, lot of decisions were made for the revival of student unions but none were implemented. This paper discusses the historical role of student unions before the ban in 1984 and the crises that emerged after the ban, discusses how the ban created a leadership drought, and how students lost democratic values. A comparative analysis of casualties in educational institutions before and after the ban is also discussed. Data has been collected through secondary sources, research papers, media reports, books, and critically analyzed to provide some suggestions. A qualitative and descriptive approach is applied in the research. This is an under-researched topic; not much work has been done on this topic. This research will demonstrate the true value and need of student unions, not only for students but also for the country.