‘Students’ mobilisation’

Business Recorder op-ed writer Rashed Rahman in his article “Students’ mobilisation” carried by the newspaper yesterday has given the newspaper readers a broader sense of what actually constitutes the history of student protests in Pakistan. It is quite true – as mentioned by the writer – that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s political fortunes owed a great deal to the student-led 1968-69 agitation. The overwhelming character of that movement was left-wing.

The late student leader Mairaj Muhammad Khan, who was widely known for his fiery speeches and strong commitment to social causes and issues, for example, was admired by Bhutto so much so that he nominated the former as his successor in the event of his arrest or assassination. But Bhutto sahib later distanced himself from all those who actually catapulted him into power for a variety of reasons. The writer is requested to also shed light on the reasons behind emergence of militancy or violence on campuses in a detailed manner in one of his upcoming articles for the newspaper.

Karachi Anwar Naqvi