Progressive Students Collective

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Progressive Students' Collective
AbbreviationPSC
Formation2016
Typeindependent Left-wing students’ organization
Legal statusActive
PurposeTo educate & organize students around critical issues
Headquarters Lahore
Location
Central President
Virsa Pirzado
General SEcretary
Haris Ahmad Khan
President Karachi
Jasvant Singh
President Hyderabad
Niaz Ahmed
Website https://thestudentsherald.com/

'Progressive Students' Collective' (PSC) is an independent left-wing student organisation based in Pakistan.Currently, Virsa pirzado ,Haris Ahmad Khan, Jasvant Singh, Niaz Ahmed are elected as the Central President, Central General Secretary and President PSC Karachi, PSC Hyderabad chapter respectively.

Contents

Formation

Progressive Students Collective (PSC) was formed in 2016. [1] Progressive Students’ Collective is a students' based organization that envisions to forge a broad level of solidarity among students to struggle for the rights. We aim to struggle for student unions, free education for all, Harassment Committees on campuses, Critical thinking on campus, End to Racial Profiling of students, End to Digital Divide in the country and other rights of students.

PSC sub organization

There are six sub organizations of PSC.

  1. The Students’ Herald (Publication/Magazine)
  2. Law Students’ Collective
  3. Feminist Students’ Collective
  4. The Artists’ Assembly
  5. Climate Activists’ Collective
  6. The Science Club

Membership

In order to become a member of PSC, one must be in any educational institute i.e must be a student, must not be part of any other political organisation. PSC categorizes its members into "Primary Members" and "Active Members".

Organization City Chapter

Progressive Students Collective (PSC) has presence in most major city like lahore, Karachi, Multan, Hyderabad Sindh, Islamabad, DI Khan, Peshawar etc.

University/College Campus Unit

Progressive Students Collective (PSC) has presence in most major universities like Punjab University, Karachi University, Federal Urdu University, Sindh University, Government College University lahore, BZU University etc.

Activities

Students Solidarity March

PSC always organized annually march in big city of country for restoration of student union in last week of November called Student Solidarity March. PSC has organized many events highlighting rights of workers, students, youth, and general public like Faiz Aman Mela, 2018, [2] Shehri Tahafuzz March, 2019 [3] against Sahiwal killings, Labour Relief Campaign, [4] [5] protests against anti-people budget, [6] extremism and violence at campuses, [7] [8] human rights violation, [9] forceful abductions, [10] and mob lynching [11] theatre, [12] Climate Justice March, [13] [14] [15] Students Solidarity March in 2018, [16] [17] [18] 2019, [19] [20] [21] 2020 [22] [23] 2021 [24] [25] and 2022. [26]

Student action committee

PSC played important role in making student alliance in the form of student action committee in 2019. [27] In 2019, PSC members including Arooj Aurangzaib, Virsa Pirzado and Zubair, Ali Raza, Qaisar Javed faced huge criticism and faces criminals charges through fake FIR on raising slogans for Students Solidariy March. [28] [29] Members of PSC, also faced arrests in 2021 during the pandemic while protesting for online examination in Lahore. [30] [31] On February 9, 2022, PSC organised a series of protests in several cities to mark the 38th year of ban on student unions in Pakistan in 1984 [32] by dictator Zia-ul-Haq. In Lahore, PSC also staged a sit-in outside Punjab Assembly. [33] [34] PSC also faced pressure from campus authorities against organizing study circles and participation in women rights' marches. [35]

Citations/Sources

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