ISLAMABAD, Nov 6: The management of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) has asked all those staying in its hostels illegally to leave within a week, Dawn has learnt.

According to a hospital administration official, over 15 people have been living in the hostels without approval for the last few years.

“We have issued notices to a number of doctors and other staff living in the hostels without authority to vacate the rooms,” Prof Riaz Warraich, the executive director of Pims, told Dawn.

He said security officials, including the police, had informed the hospital administration that some individuals were staying in the hostels without approval of the Pims management.

“We don’t want to witness any rowdy scenes on the premises, especially in the hostels, and want to keep a track on every individual staying in the hospital,” said Prof Warraich.

According to the administration official, Pims has one hostel for medical officers and two for female nurses and doctors.

“Because of the prevailing security satiation, the government has asked us to keep track of everyone staying with the doctors. Besides, we have also been directed to ensure that illegal occupants leave the hostels,” Prof Warraich added.

“At the moment, many deserving doctors are living outside Pims while unauthorised persons are staying in the hostels, which is a concern for us,” he maintained.

A medical officer told Dawn that he had requested the Pims administration to allocate a room to him but he was informed that all rooms were occupied.

"When I told an official of the administration that a few rooms in the hostel are vacant but remain locked all the time, he said these were allotted to some doctors for life though they have left the hospital service," the doctor claimed.

He added: "A number of medical officers are living in private hostels and the management has now taken action on the issue."

Another official added that some private persons were staying in the doctors’ hostel.

An interior ministry official on the condition of anonymity told Dawn: “We want to keep an eye on the visitors to the Pims hostels and also need a daily record which should be submitted by the Pims management to the police.”

He said the police would be issued guidelines to take up the matter with the management of Pims.

However, Prof Warraich said for the time being his management was not willing to seek assistance from the police or other security agencies to ensure the smooth vacation of hostels from the illegal residents.

In reply to a question, he added: “I am hopeful that those staying in the hostels will leave the premises within the given time and in case they failed to do so, the federal government is there to support us.”