Students at Karachi University have filed a petition in the Sindh High Court (SHC) seeking the revival of the student union at the academic institution.
The petition was filed by students at the university’s School of Law. It names the chief secretary, the secretary of universities and boards, the secretary of colleges, the secretary law, the vice chancellor and the registrar of Karachi University as parties.
Petitioners seek rules and union elections
The petitioners argued that although the Sindh Students Union Act 2019 has been approved, its rules and regulations have yet to be formulated. They asked the court to instruct the Sindh government to frame the rules and issue a notification of the law.
The petition also seeks a direction to the university administration to form an election commission and hold elections for the students’ union.
Legislative history of the Sindh Students Union Act
The bill was drafted in 2019 and referred to the standing committee on law and parliamentary affairs. After two years of consultation with various stakeholders, it was passed unanimously in February 2022, with treasury and opposition members supporting it.
The 2022 law says student union activities complement academic programmes and extracurricular activities. It states that such activities enhance students’ education through social, cultural, intellectual and campus governance participation, and that union representatives must be bona fide representatives of their students.
