BHC bars students to hold any political activity within school premises

QUETTA: In a recent update, the District Education Officer has issued a ban on the government and private schools in Quetta from holding  any kind of political activity within the premises of educational institutions.

 The move has been made in the wake of the directive issued by the Balochistan High Court (BHC) to bar students from being used for objects with political motive without keeping in view their future prospects. 

It was an order by the BHC upon a petition filed by Quetta resident Advocate Shabbir Ahmed on January 9, 2025. The tendency  to involve students in political activities has become rampant in the newer generation, and there is a dire need to impose the ban to protect their educational prospects, said the order of the court.

It has asked the heads of all government and private schools in Quetta to bar students from joining any political activity apart from ensuring the students themselves do not participate in such activities outside the school premises.

Disciplinary action shall be initiated against the students on breach of order, and the proceedings shall be conducted under the Balochistan Employees’ Efficiency and Discipline Act, 2011. BEEDA ACT, 2011, will govern the employees in government and corporation service with respect to efficiency, discipline, and accountability. 

Fresh circular extends the ban to both within and outside the premises of educational institutions in Quetta with the reasoning that a need was felt to keep educational institutions focused on academic pursuits. 

This is not for the first time that such a decision has been taken as earlier also, student politics were banned in the educational institutions in Balochistan. For instance, the University of Balochistan had banned all political activities and rallies on campus.

Similarly, the government has also banned political and religious debates in educational institutions in other parts of the country.

The decision taken by the Balochistan government to ban political activities in educational institutions is probably aimed at maintaining law and order and saving the institutions from misuse for politically motivated agendas.

However, how far this decision will be accepted by the students and political parties in the region remains to be seen.