RAHIM YAR KHAN: The dilapidated condition of Jinnah Hostel building of Khawaja Freed Government Postgraduate College (KFGPC) is a constant danger for its resident students.

The hostel was raised soon after the establishment of college in 1954. At least 31 rooms, with six bathrooms and as many toilets, were built to cater to the need of 80 students.

Now 116 students are living in the hostel in a miserable condition. The roofs of rooms, corridors and the dining hall are in a rundown condition and can cave in at anytime.

The bathrooms and toilets are full of sewerage water due to improper sanitation. The decades-old electricity wiring adds to the problems of students who remain deprived of the facility for hours.

Some hostel students said they paid Rs6,000 yearly rent for the room which did not include the expenses of meals. They said the hostel had never been repaired.

Principal Prof Dr Muhammad Ajmal Bhatti said he had written many letters to the buildings department and met EXEN Abdul Majeed for this purpose, but to no avail.

He said the buildings department had informed the college unofficially that the new hostel building could not be built for lack of funds.

He said since the life span of the building had expired it was no more repairable. Three bathrooms were got repaired by installing iron pillars under their roofs for support, he said.

The principal said that two other hostels -- Iqbal Hall and Liaquat Hall -- were under the control of Islamia University Bahawalpur’s sub campus.

He said these hostels should be got vacated because the IUB had sufficient funds and could accommodate its students in private buildings.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2015

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