The students are considered the most impressive and influential force across the world. The leadership that comes into different fields is now youths. Whether development, politics, governance, awareness programs they are led by the youths. As these students and youths are energetic, influential and wise enough to understand the current trends, philosophies and strategies taking place around the globe, region and in the country.

The universities are created to understand every subject through debate, understandings, views and opinions especially in the social sciences and humanities groups.

If politics is that bad then why are states investing billions on political institutions, university campuses and research centres?

No student unions means changing the campuses into dictated barracks where only left and right salute would be followed through strict disciplines where neither creativity nor innovation would yield. So, the campuses must be an open space for debate, lectures, thoughts, opinions and dialogues to shorten the education gap and let the enlightenment prevail forever.

The students and youths of Pakistan are not lesser than the youths across the world. They are the highest percentage of the population in the country as a result of the 2017 census survey across Pakistan. All of the political parties have now switched to follow the global trend of youth activism its main example is the currently ruling Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf who vowed of billions employment—a sheer agenda to activate youths and cash their vote bank, energies and activism in their pre-2018 election era.

But, when the current government leading party took the slot to lead the country, they till the date have not met their own vows of promoting youths and providing them employments. Instead of this the inflation has risen and the slots in the government offices are again the “old wine in the new bottle”—who were earlier parts of different political parties and ushered into the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf. This is badly affected the hopes of the youths in the country.

If we go through the history of Pakistan whether it was the National Awami Party or the then Pakistan Peoples Party (formed after Gen: Ayub’s foreign minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto made differences with him) they both had the youth massive movement influenced by philosophy of people’s politics.

Let alone youths and student politics, General Ayub banned the activities of political parties and the civil societies who were considered to be the backbone of democracy in the country.

This phase as well impacted the Sub-Continent, the Congress, later the Muslim League and the Pashtun, Bengalis, Baloch, Sindhi and Siraiki nationalists. Their parties’ structures were made democratic and their agenda became the anti-colonial slogans or “quit India movement” and several others were the product of these philosophical political thoughts and activism that ousted the

British invasion from the South Asian Indian Sub-Continent.

Then after, the formation of Pakistan the religious joined the capitalist agenda of the Americans led block and the military establishment joined their hands which manipulated the structures, thoughts and narratives of the people through constitutional changes, capitalist policies that was a big harm to diversity, culture, and peaceful co-existence. And, Pakistan as earlier promised by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, its founder and fore father, legacy of having a secular Pakistan where all sects, religions and political thoughts followers would be equally compensated through democratic government structures in the light of a pluralistic constitution created through the assemblies, parliament elected by the “adult franchise”.

Neither we the masses of Pakistan had constitution, nor a way for adult franchise based electioneering until 1970s. Because on and off the military establishment—a predecessor of the British colonial structured mentality tried to impose its first martial law in the Gen: Ayub’s era.

Let alone youths and student politics, General Ayub banned the activities of political parties and the civil societies who were considered to be the backbone of democracy in the country.

The first martial law imposer Ayub’s regime propagated its development and gains in the form of governance, foreign policy and defense. After these narratives were sensitized the public by the clashes with India over the Kashmir issue through state machinery. And all he cashed the conflict and relations with foreign powers made him stronger and supported till the last. This caused a divide in the society and political polarization because the federation units were merged into the “one unit” at the end and election was arranged.

Though, the Eastern Pakistan (present Bangladesh) was having more population in comparison to the rest of Pakistan voted their political leadership and their mandate was not accepted and that pushed the newly created country to divide in the first three decades of its creation.

Though the youths made their way to stir the society again with progressive slogans, but every party that came into power did not let the “students unions” to go for a debate based scientific political structure and have their countrywide alliances.

Because, all these leading political parties in the center were mere utilizing these youths energies for own seats and never remained in mode to give them their due spare in politics. Some of the diplomatic youths though made their ways to political seats but they were in minority in these two political parties Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League alike current Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf. This may be a misery we are faced by owing to the economic issues we are faced by that does not let the democracy to get practice in its true spirit. On one hand the military dictatorship on the other hand the fragile governments hijacked by the military establishment and in conflict with the neighboring countries while having no economic and youth policies at home.

At last, the use of social media motivating a youth force again to join politics and hope for forwarding their say in the houses that decide the fate of the country. They are though both frustrated by the economic and psychological pressures owing to unemployment, inflation, no or lesser role in the country’s policies. And the currently post-9/11 era phase of terrorism and extremism—a product of the dictating minded martials to get sponsorship from the International Community though made losses to the democratic and progressive voices are now producing these students and youths as reactionaries mobs. They are asking the students unions—which is no doubt must for every democratic society because these youths can get polish and release their frustration through political activism while these debates can go further to become philosophical approaches based political policies.

So, they are negated and banned in the campuses to form unions and join fellow students and youths for leading Pakistan in a way that is both needed by the masses of the country and global and regional powers.

Because – the theme about youth activism is global so Pakistani government must let these youths to become a lot of progressive youths and have their basic human rights “freedom of speech”, assembly. That is never destructive but a constructive mean to reshape Pakistan on the basis of progressive ideals and democratic mechanism. This as well is time for political parties to univocally struggle for youths and students politics.

Neither the military establishment nor another group or institution should remain a hurdle in the way of youth and students politics. The students should not focus the frames imposed on them through an indirect NGOtic way as well. The youth movement in so-called Arab Spring proved something more drastic and blunder to the people of Middle East.

That exchanged the Kingships into a terrorism disturbed regions of “Anarchy”. They should be united for the progress and development of motherland, people and to go with the world in an equal way while being supervised and led by the political parties and progressive leadership.

Sanna Ejaz is a journalist based in Peshwar . Twitter: @sanaejaz2

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