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Punjab University likely to evacuate girls' hostel
LAHORE, Sept 29: The Punjab University (PU)
administration is planning to evacuate a girls hostel (Hamza Hostel) allegedly
after the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT) pressured them to do so, officials said on Friday.
The hostel was situated on the end of the New
Campus along with the Canal. The IJT believed that it could be a 'security risk'
and therefore the girls should be shifted to some other hostel, they said. The
evacuation had been planned immediately after former vice chancellor Lt Gen (r)
Arshad Mehmood left the university, they added. They said the former VC had been
resisting the move for the past couple of years.
A PU official, seeking
anonymity, said some PU officials including acting PU VC Prof Arif Butt were
behind the proposed evacuation. He said about 250 girls from far-flung areas
were residing in the hostel and the evacuation would disturb them.
Dr
Arif Butt said, "I am not planning to evacuate the hostel." He said the PU Hall
Council had proposed vacating the hostel. He said, "I will take decision after
receiving the proposal." The PU Hall Council chairman said the hostel was at one
end of the campus. He said PU authorities were concerned for the security of
girls. He said it had been proposal to allot two boys hostels, hostel 14 and 19,
to the girls.
PU IJT nazim Muhammad Ayub said the hostel was named Hamza
Hostel so it should be given to boys. He said the hostel was constructed with
boys' funds.
Sadaf, a student, said PU authorities were planning to
evacuate the hostel during the Eid vacation, as there would no girls to protest
the decision.
Adeela, another student, said due to insufficient rooms
four to five students were forced to live in a room. She said, "If the hostel is
evacuated, it will create problems for girls." Nida, who was living at the
hostel, said the girls were worried over the proposed evacuation. Daily Times
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