Candlelight vigil commemorates 1953 martyrs

By Shahid Husain
The News International, Friday, January 09, 2015

The National Students Federation (NSF) held a candlelight vigil in memory of martyrs of 1953 students’ movement in front of the Karachi Press Club on Thursday.

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Commemorating Jan 8, 1953: 2013 events, Jan 6 and 8, by DSF and NSF

As we remember Jan 8, 1953 Demands Day and those who gave their lives for the cause of students’ rights, it is good to see that progressive young people in Pakistan are organising and work for students’ rights, with the revival of Democratic Students Federation and the National Students Federation. In keeping with the rallying cry of the original movement – ‘Student Unity’ – activists of DSF and NSF must put up a united front, and attend and support each others’ events even if they don’t merge into one organisation. Demands should include lifting the ongoing ban on student unions. Below, information about several events being organised this year, some on Jan 6, in different cities of Sindh and Punjab by DSF, and NSF event on Jan 8:

NSF: Commemorating Jan 8, Karachi event

NSF invite for Jan 8 event at PMA House Karachi, 3 pm

Fatehyab Ali Khan no more. RIP comrade

Sad to hear that Fatehyab Ali Khan is no more. He suffered a massive heart attack in Karachi on Sept 23 and was rushed to hospital where doctors tried to revive him with electric shocks. He was subsequently kept on a ventilator, until doctors gave up hope last night.

He and his contemporary Mairaj Mohammad Khan were very much present at the Jan 9, 2010 event held in Karachi to commemorate the 1950s Democratic Students Federation (DSF) led student movement, during which he had been a high school student. They were happy to be there; their very presence meant a lot to everyone there. The movement inspired him and others of his generation who were inclined towards left-wing, progressive politics.

‘Student Movement in Pakistan: A glorious past’, by Shahid Husain

Students’ procession on ‘Elphi’ – photo by Sartaj Alam, ‘Students’ Herald’

Article written for PKonweb, uploaded on Dec 8, 2009 as  EDITOR’S CHOICE: ‘Student Movement in Pakistan: A glorious past, by Shahid Husain

Pakistan student movement in evolution

By Shahid Husain

Pakistan’s student movement that produced luminaries such as Dr. Mohammad Sarwar, Dr. Syed Haroon Ahmed, Dr. Adib-ul-Hasan Rizvi, Dr. Jaffar Naqvi, Mohammad Kazim, Abid Hasan Minto,  Sher Afzal Malik, Husain Naqi, Johar Husain, Fatehyab Ali Khan and Meiraj Mohammad Khan,  to name a few, has a glorious history. In its long journey it faced extreme hardship and can be characterized by at least two milestones: January 7, 1953 movement that enabled the students of Karachi to have a University and better educational facilities, and led to the 1968-69 student movement that forced military dictator Gen. Ayub Khan to announce he would not take part in next elections.