Activities
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Progressive Students Collective | |
| Abbreviation | PSC |
|---|---|
| Formation | December 2016 |
| Type | independent Left-wing students’ organization |
| Legal status | Active |
| Purpose | To educate & organize students around critical issues and to build revolutionary consiousness |
| Headquarters | Lahore |
| Location | |
| Membership | Classified |
Central President | Ali Abdullah Khan |
Secretary General | Eqbal Khan |
Main organ | Central Cabinet |
Publication | The Student Herald |
| Affiliations | JAC Left wing Student Alliance |
| Website | https://thestudentsherald.com/ |
'Progressive Students' Collective' (PSC) is an independent left-wing student organisation based in Pakistan.Formed in 2016, PSC led to the revival of leftist student politics in Pakistan after decades of decline due to banning of student unions. PSC primary support base is students from various universities of Pakistan. PSC, although a leftist student organization follows Marxist political line by advocating for end to class based exploitation, gender equality, exploitation of ethnic and religious minority and by putting up radical resistance against the status quo in the country. It has been regularly organized Student Solidarity Marches every year and was highly active and influential in Palestine solidarity protest and marches in Pakistan in last year against the genocide conducted by Israel in Gaza which also includes calling out of German ambassador in Asma Jahangir Conference and Protest in front of US Embassy in Lahore.
Progressive Students Collective (PSC) was formed in 2016. [1] Initially students of Government College formed Hegelian Study group to discuss various philosophers and their writings. But the killing of Mashal Khan, student of Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan on the fake accusation of blasphemy by fellow students prompted the group to form a political organization to protect student right in the country.
PSC started organizing in Government College University and Punjab University Lahore in 2017. It focused on the issue of fees hike, harassment on campus and discriminatory policies of university administration against students from peripheries initially and started getting popularity amin students.
PSC began organizing solidarity protests on various campuses across Lahore soon after the Israeli assault on Gaza began. Initially, the protests had a small number of participants, but the breakthrough moment came when PSC announced a protest in front of the US Embassy in Lahore—a call that had not been made by any other organization before. Right before the protest, the Asma Jahangir Conference was held on April 27–28 to celebrate Asma Jahangir, a fierce human rights defender, and to discuss the state of human rights in Pakistan and globally. The conference invited the British and German ambassadors to speak on human rights in Pakistan.
PSC activists attended the conference and called out the German ambassador for his hypocrisy—delivering a lecture on human rights in Pakistan while his country supplies arms to Israel for carrying out genocide and initiates a brutal crackdown against pro-Palestine protesters in Germany. In response, the German ambassador used the phrase "Get out," which offended the Pakistani public, as it echoed the colonial attitude of the viceroy during British rule. This incident brought global prominence to PSC, with media outlets such as The Guardian, BBC, and Al Jazeera covering the story. In the aftermath, PSC launched a nationwide movement under the banner of the Palestinian Solidarity Committee, which sparked successful student-led protests across the country—including a landmark demonstration in front of the US Embassy.
There are six sub organizations of PSC.
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 organization. PSC categorizes its members into "Sympathizers" and "Active Members".
Progressive Students Collective (PSC) has presence in most major city like Lahore, Karachi, , Hyderabad , Islamabad, Peshawar etc.
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.
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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]
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]