ISLAMABAD:Despite the passage of ten years, students of Islamabad Model College for Boys H-9 are still deprived of their on-campus dorm.
The hostel has been allegedly in the possession of Pakistan Sweet Homes (PSH) since 2012 causing inconvenience to the students, particularly those coming from remote areas of the country.
According to the official source, PSH has been occupying the hostel, and no effort has been made by the authorities to get the possession back.
Many students who belong to different far-off areas of the country have been lodging in private houses.
The students who live in private hostels do not have enough resources to pay a hefty amount of rent, it is learnt.
Many students are even forced to stay at far-off places like Bhara Kahu, Chatha Bakhtawar and Rawalpindi because the private hostels and accommodations near H-9 College are already occupied by the students of International Islamic University.
The unavailability of hostel facilities is also affecting the studies of the students.
Talking to reporter, an Associate Professor of the college on the condition of anonymity said, “Hostel was given to outsiders by the connivance of some officers of Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) through an invalid agreement in 2012. This whole transaction was maneuvered by some officers. A BPS-19 officer of FDE signed the so-called agreement as the owner of the building. Who is the competent authority to hand over the government building to a party? There is a question mark. Handing over the building to PSH was to serve the own interests of FDE officers and not have any consideration for the interest of the students and the institution.
A student who hailed from Skardu said, “I have been shifting my luggage from one place to another last year because the owner increased rent again and again. My father was unable to pay huge security deposits for a room that was situated near the college. My father sent me to Islamabad with the aim to get a quality education but I have a harrowing experience trying to find a suitable accommodation here.”
Uzair Baloch who belong to Kirdgap (Balochistan) residing in the private hostel complained that unhygienic food, contaminated drinking water, dirty washrooms, pollution created by smokers, lack of transport, improper environment of study, lack of internet facilities were hampering his studies while the education department has been completely ignoring the issues of the students.
Amir Hussain, another student said, “I am sharing a room with two other students in sector G-9/4. Our neighbors do not like singles. They always create troubles for us, considering us suspicious which really hurts and affects our concentration on studies badly,” he lamented.
An assistant professor of the college lambasted the callous attitude of the administration towards students who have been deprived of their hostel. He said, according to the verdict of apex court in Human Rights Case NO.974-P of 2009, the property of an educational institution falls in the category of amenity. The property can neither be given to a party/ institution nor it can be used other than for the purpose of education.
In light of this verdict, the possession of the building should be taken back and handed over to the rightful claimer, she contended.
The professor also demanded a transparent inquiry regarding handing over the college hostel building to PSH.
The professor urged the Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Rana Tanveer Hussain to take serious notice of this grave situation and direct the administration of FDE to get back possession of the hostel.