ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Model Postgraduate College H-8 is on the brink of losing its hostel, a fate similar to that of H-9 College Hostel, as suspicious visits by outsiders have been reported by students and staff and rumours have been triggered that the building will be handed over to some outsider.

The hostel of H-8 college, which was closed in 2008 due to severe neglect and lack of maintenance, remains in a state of disrepair. This has forced students to seek accommodation in expensive and less secure private hostels across the capital city.

Despite repeated appeals from students for renovation and restoration, the hostel failed to attract any meaningful attention from the authorities. The building, capable of housing up to 70 students, is in a dilapidated state.

A teacher, requesting anonymity, said the situation of the H-8 college hostel mirrored the fate of the H-9 college hostel, which was handed over to Pakistan Sweet Home in 2012, depriving its students of affordable accommodation.

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“…H-9 college students are left to cope with high living costs and inadequate facilities in private hostels. The pattern of hostel closures extends beyond these two institutions,” he said.

Fida Hussain, a student pursuing a BS degree, disclosed his dire circumstances, admitting to taking on a job as a waiter at a restaurant due to the unavailability of affordable housing options. His decision was not voluntary; rather, he felt obligated to do so as he had no alternative place to sleep.

Sangeen Khan, currently enrolled in a BS programme, revealed the tough reality that many of his fellow students encounter. “I have no choice but to stay in a costly private hostel, which puts an extra financial burden on my family. Moreover, I have to cover daily transportation costs to make it to the college, which only adds to the strain on our already limited resources,” he said.

The closure of hostels is not limited to students alone. Recently, at the Islamabad Model College for Girls F-7/4, the hostel facility for female teachers was shut down, and the teachers were transferred to other colleges. As a result, the hostel is no longer available for use. This move has disrupted the lives of these teachers, who now find themselves removed from the convenience of residing where they work.

These teachers, often young professionals, who come from distant areas now face significant challenges. Securing safe accommodation in the bustling capital city, especially for women, is notoriously difficult. Many female teachers, confronted with this dilemma, may choose to resign and return to their hometowns to live with their families.

A professor from one of the affected colleges commented, “Shutting the doors of hostels in ICT colleges is a conspiracy against financially disadvantaged students belonging to remote areas like Gilgit-Baltistan. Closing the hostel facility within the colleges benefits private hostel operators, who profit at the expense of these vulnerable students, seemingly in collusion with educational authorities who are neglecting the needs of college students.”

In a comment to Dawn, Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani said he was informed that there was an abandoned dilapidated hostel building in H-8 college which had been dysfunctional for two decades and was beyond use due to its infrastructure.

“The present college administration has also not tried to restore it…rest assured any decision to [for] efficient utilisation of any abandoned dysfunctional building will be taken in consultation with the stakeholders… But no decision has been taken till now,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2024