THIS refers to the article `Spirit of the arts lobby` ( May 9) by Abbas Nasir. That the piece was biased is quite obvious given Mr Nasir`s active involvement in the leftleaningpolitics ofthatera.Butusing an op-ed piece to turn the IJT into a villainous creature is against decent journalistic norms practised by Dawn.
The fact is that the IJT stood up to the cruelty of Gen Ziaul Haq as a result of which he banned the student unions. The IJT had won a clear majority through union elections in most of the educational institutions of the country when the ban was imposed.
The other fact that Mr Abbas conveniently ignores were God-fearing and simple-minded students such as Hafiz Aslam Shaheed. They were martyred by terrorist outfit Al-Zulfiqar, a PPP wing.
Then new gangs in the form of USM, PSA and APMSO were continually formed and armed by the establishment to crush the IJT. The workers of the IJT were tortured andkilled by these terrorist organisations on a regular basis.
Interestingly, lovers of democracy should take note here, the students kept rejecting all these organisations and elected the IJT whenever and wherever there was an election.
Modern-day terrorism that we have been witnessing in our city was taking root in the 80s in the shape of these student outfits.
The IJT was the only one standing up to them, supported by the citizens and students of Karachi.
Unluckily, the parent organisations of APMSO and PSF/AlZulfiqar have now been ruling Karachi for as long as one can remember. The state of our city is testimony of their performance. We can just fondly remember the good old days of the 70s and 80s, the days when the IJT was at the helm of affairs in student politics, and when good normal education was being imparted in educational institutions.
