Student solidarity march in Lahore demands restoration of unions, fee relief, anti-harassment measures
By Asim Shahzad
LAHORE: The Progressive Students’ Collective organized a Student Solidarity March from Nasir Bagh to the Punjab Assembly. The march revolved around demands including the restoration of student unions, addressing the institutional causes behind rising student suicides, the establishment of anti-harassment committees on campuses, withdrawal from the so-called Gaza Peace Board, and the release of all political prisoners across the country. Students from various educational institutions in Lahore, along with individuals from different walks of life, participated in the march.
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This was followed by a series of speeches.
PSC Central Secretary General Eqbal Khan began by stating that just as an oppressive system prevails across the country, a similar authoritarian structure exists within campuses. He said its purpose is not to educate students but to control them by instilling fear- despite this, students came out in large numbers today, breaking the idol of fear, for which he expressed his gratitude. He demanded the immediate end to the securitization of educational institutions, stating that no student can study under the shadow of a gun.
Qazi Shehryar, Chief Editor of The Students’ Herald, said that students are currently facing numerous issues on campus, foremost among them high fees and harassment. He stated that the Constitution of Pakistan guarantees every citizen the right to free education, yet even after 70 years this right has not been realized. He said they are on the streets today to secure this right in practical terms. While paying fees has always been difficult for poor students, the current situation has made it nearly impossible. Instead of offering an educational relief package, the government is increasing fees further and privatizing educational institutions.
PSC Spokesperson Sara Ali stated that incidents of harassment against female students on campuses are increasing day by day, yet there is no proper institutional mechanism to address the issue. She said these problems persist because students lack representation in decision-making bodies. Therefore, they demand the immediate establishment of anti-harassment committees on every campus, with representation for female students.
PSC Central Organizer Ahsan Javed, a student of the University of Lahore, said that the government is continuously privatizing educational institutions, and private institutions operate like mafias. Speaking about incidents of suicide at the University of Lahore, he said students are under severe mental stress due to heavy fines, repeated failures imposed to extract fees, and humiliation by guards. This pressure is resulting in suicides. He further added that students pay money every semester under the name of a health fund, yet are not provided healthcare facilities in return.
Finally, PSC Central President Ali Abdullah Khan thanked the participants for breaking the imposed climate of fear by joining the march. He stated that the root cause of all the issues raised during the march is the ban on student unions. He said that due to the ban imposed 40 years ago by Zia-ul-Haq, the situation has deteriorated to the point where students are committing suicide under administrative stress. He added that corruption, harassment, and abuse of power are common within university administrations, and the only solution is the restoration of student unions.
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