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| tags: | #Pakistan, #students protest, #student union, #freedom of speech, #freedom of assembly |
|---|---|
| located: | Pakistan |
| by: | Yair Oded |
On 29 November, scores of students from across Pakistan took part in the Student Solidarity Marches, demanding the right to form student unions (a privilege revoked under the dictatorship of the dictator Gen. Ziaul Haq).
Among other demands of the students were cuts in education fees, an end to surveillance of students on and off-campus, an end of sexual harassment on campus, the introduction of policies to address complaints of sexual harassment and the cessation of privatization of academic institutions.
As reported by Amnesty International, the peaceful marches were met by harsh crackdowns by the Pakistani authorities, the pressing of charges against several activists, and the arbitrary arrest of Alamgir Wazir - a student protester.
Evidently, the authorities invoked clauses of penal code minted by the British Colonial rule, and accused the protesters of ‘sedition’, ‘maintenance of public order’, ‘nuisance’, and ‘continuation nuisance’.
As students across the globe stand in defiance against tyranny and oppression, it is important to embolden them and express solidarity with their call for justice and equality.
The Progressive Student Collective (PSC) is a Pakistan-based group which mobilises students from around the country and organises them around pressing social issues.
You may support them by following their Twitter account and spreading the word about their upcoming actions and campaigns.
Image: PSC Facebook page
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