Students residential problems in Rawalpindi Islamabad

Islamabad students residential problems and shortage of accommodation facilities
Islamabad, Oct 4: Students are facing residential problems because of acute shortage of accommodation facilities in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Majid, a student, said that due to non-availability of proper hostel facilities, he had to live in a small room.

"It is quite difficult for a student to find a reasonable living place at affordable rates," he added.

He said that private hostels had been charging Rs5,000 to Rs8,000 for a single bed accommodation, adding that these hostels lacked proper cleaning.

Shafqat Ullah, an employee said that rents of rooms and houses had surged in the last few years due to the unprecedented influx of students and job seekers in the twin cities.

"I am paying Rs7,000 for a single unfurnished room, and the owner raised rent, 10 percent every year," he added.

"I am residing in a small room of a private hostel with three other girls due to paucity of hostels for girls in the twin cities," said Fouzia, a student of IIUI.

She said, "We pay Rs6,000 per head to the hostel management who provide two time meals and breakfast."

Fouzia said that there arrangements lacked proper cleanliness, and the food was not of standard.

She appealed the authorities concerned to take steps for setting up new girls hostels in the twin cities, because the existing hostel facilities were not sufficient to the increasing women working class.

Israr Khan, living in a single room in Shamsabad said that the main cause of the accommodation shortage was the lack of bachelor hostels and proper housing schemes.

He said that he had been facing residential problem since he came to capital in 2003 after completing his studies.

"In the past five years, I have changed my residence many times due to the ill attitude of landlords or lack of basic facilities," he added.

He said that the setting up of more hostels could bring relief to bachelors who came here from distant areas of the country in search of jobs and education.

Many universities and colleges are facing shortage of hostels in twin cities. The students demanded that concerned authorities should provide sufficient accommodation facilities to decrease the problems of the students.

They stressed that the educational instructions should be bound to provide boarding, lodging and other facilities to its students as part of the registration of these institutions set up in hired building lacking space and other facilities.

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Rocket hits boys school in Peshawar
Peshawar: A rocket hit Government High School for Boys Naway Killay while four projectiles landed in fields near the Peshawar International Airport in yet another brazen rocket attack on the provincial capital early Saturday.

It wasn't clear if the rockets were fired from Khyber Agency or some village on the boundary between the tribal area and Peshawar. Many people woke up after hearing the loud explosions at around 3:30 a.m.

One of the rockets hit the classrooms of the Government High School Naway Killay, located on Bara Road hardly 400 metres from the boundary wall of the Peshawar airport. Three rooms and a verandah of the old school building were damaged in the attack.

No casualty was reported in the attack because the classes were yet to begin. Students helped the staff to remove the rubble and clean the classrooms and verandah.

Four other rockets landed in the fields of Naway Killay village, famous for producing squash legends Hashim Khan, Roshan Khan, Qamar Zaman, Mohibullah, Jehangir Khan and Jansher Khan. Some of these Khans and their family members had studied at the school that was hit by rocket on Saturday.

Naway Killay is spread on three sides of the Peshawar airport, which contains the military airbase.

Since the launching of the military operation in Khyber Agency, Peshawar has come frequently under rocket attacks from the tribal area. Most of the rockets land in Naway Killay, Abdarra, Pishtakhara and adjacent villages for being close to Bara sub-division in Khyber Agency.

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30 youngsters awarded certificates
Islamabad: For successfully completing youth leadership course on building alliance organised by Mehergarh, 30 young leaders were awarded certificate at a ceremony held here on Friday.

Expressing their commitment to work for real transformation of the society, the participants shared their learning and experiences on the occasion. Famous poetess and writer Kishwer Naheed distributed certificates among the participants. The one-week long leadership course from September 25 to October 1 offered training to civil society organisations and political party workers. Its overall objective was to learn about alliance building and the challenges faced in this process with a deeper understanding of current social issues and democratic process.

Every year, Mehergarh trains about 30 young leaders from all over the country. The training covers skills of alliance building, analysing the current political scenario and deeper analysis of the social issues.

The teaching methods are anything but traditional that include experiential sessions where participants learn through discovery, educational trips and self-growth sessions where they unleash their own personal strengths.

The lead trainer of the course was Dr Fouzia Saeed joined by Dr Kamran Ahmad. Other resource persons included Rafiq Jaffer, Khadim Hussain, Rakhshanda Perveen, Zahid Islam and Fazal Rehman.

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Bajaur students want BA/BSc exam postponed
Khar: Students of Bajaur Agency have demanded of the government to postpone the BA/BSc examinations, scheduled to begin from October 8, in view of the volatile situation in the area.

Izharul Haq, a 3rd year student, said that owing to curfew and military action against Taliban militants in Bajaur, students might not be able to reach examination halls.

Abdul Ghaffar, a 4th year student, pointed out that Taliban recently had hurled threats that they would re-launch attacks if the government resumed military operation in the agency.

"Under such circumstances, it would be impossible to take the examinations," he argued.

Asad, studying in 3rd year, said the government had already postponed the examinations in Swat in view of the ongoing military operation. He said the examinations in Bajaur should also be postponed in the best interest of the students.

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Shifting of college demanded
Bannu: The president of Parents Association at Razmak Cadet College has urged the government to shift campus of the college to Akram Khan Durrani College in Bannu for security reasons. Talking to reporters at the press club, President of the association Professor Muhammad Iqbal Khan said security situation had deteriorated in North Waziristan where the college was located, consequently the students stoped going to Razmak owing to fear.

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Debate competition at FAST-NU
Islamabad: A three-day FAST Universities Debating Championship 2009 (FUDC '09) began at National University, Islamabad Campus, on Saturday, which is being participated by over 50 teams from across the country.

All the debates are in English and will follow the format of the British Parliament. Most of the prestigious universities and schools are expected to participate in the competition.

Dr Grace Clark, Executive Director US Educational Foundation in Pakistan, was the chief guest on the occasion.

Dr Amir Muhammed, Rector NU, said he hoped that this competition would be a beginning of a chain of such other events on the campus. Dr Ayub Alvi, Dean of the National University, encouraged the students to participate in the debates and explore the challenges it brought along.

Dr Grace Clark also encouraged the participants by saying, "Some will win here, others will lose but at the end of the day you all are the winners because you are privileged and educated." Dr Aftab Maroof, Director Islamabad Campus, also spoke on the occasion. The news

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