Islamabad, August 7, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Pakistan’s prolonged ban on student unions has contributed to the decline of issue-based politics and encouraged personality-driven movements, according to a report published by The Diplomat.
The report noted that Pakistan has witnessed repeated protests on issues ranging from examination paper leaks and prolonged power outages to economic hardship and political rights. However, many recent movements have become closely associated with individual political figures rather than broader public causes.
It cited the protests led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) seeking the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan as an example. According to the report, Khan’s continued imprisonment has remained at the centre of the movement, making it difficult to build wider coalitions around common socioeconomic concerns.
“‘The economy has collapsed’ implicates a whole country and can hold together people who agree on nothing else. ‘Free Imran Khan,’ in contrast, implicates one half of the country and repels the other,” the report said.
The report traced part of the problem to the student-union ban imposed during the rule of General Zia-ul-Haq in 1984. A 1993 court ruling subsequently reinforced the prohibition, including a requirement that students and a parent sign an undertaking renouncing political activity as a condition for university admission.
According to The Diplomat, Pakistan dismantled independent student unions four decades ago without establishing an effective alternative platform for young people to engage in collective, issue-based politics. It argued that political parties consequently became increasingly centred on individual personalities.
The report pointed to a recent legal challenge as a possible opening for change. Hamza Khawaja, a law graduate from Lahore University of Management Sciences, has approached the Supreme Court seeking restoration of student unions and removal of the political pledge requirement for university admissions. The court has sought a response from the government.
The report described the case as an example of a political struggle focused on institutional reform rather than an individual leader.
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