On student unions.

Byline: Prof Mahboob Mohammad - Karachi

APROPOS the articles, editorial and letters to the editor appearing in Dawn on student unions.

As a member of a three-member committee constituted by the Academic Staff Association on redesigning and modifying of University of Islamabad (now QAU) statutes in 1972, I and my colleagues through legislation put the president of the students' union in the syndicate as ex-officio member. Also in 1974, Dr Kaniz Yusuf, the then vice-chancellor of the University of Islamabad had assigned me to work on and submit a scheme for a student union that would be independent of outside political influences.

I personally was not in favour of such a union. My support was for student unions that would produce personalities like Mairaj Muhammad Khan or Fatehyab Ali Khan.

Nevertheless, I started working on this task. The same year, I left for Syracuse, US, on a postdoctoral fellowship. When I returned in Dec 1975, the situation at the university had changed. Soon Dr Kaniz Yusuf left the university and I was no...