VC assures girl students of solving their accommodation problem

PESHAWAR: Islamia College University Vice-Chancellor Ajmal Khan on Sunday assured that the accommodation problem of girl students would be solved soon as the Haji Sahib Turangzai Hostel would be converted into a three-storey boarding house for around 600 girl students on the campus.
Addressing a function held in connection with the centenary celebrations of the historic Islamic College, he said special seats would also be created for admissions on sports basis for female students in the intermediate classes from next academic session.
Noted physician, Dr Rahim Bangash was chief guest on the occasion. Emotional scenes were witnessed when old Islamians and residents of Butler Hostel way back in early 60s and 70s participated in the function at the hostel built in 1913.
The vice-chancellor regretted the low registration of old students for the upcoming grand windup three-day (Dec 11, 12, 13) centenary celebrations of the Islamia College Peshawar.
The resident-students presented speeches, skits and Pashto traditional danceatnr with rabab and mangay. The old Islamians, mostly members of Senior Alumni Association exchanged their experiences and interesting stories and anecdotes of their stay in the college with the current Islamians.
They advised the young students to strictly adhere to rules and observe discipline in their life. “The problems of girl students will find a better solution soon as the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government have sanctioned sufficient funds for the purpose. Female students will be shifted from Khushal Hostel and Arbab Behram Manzil to the proposed boarding house close to their college, where they will enjoy foolproof security and better facilities,” Ajmal Khan added.
He said that many good things including academics and discipline had been compromised during his captivity. He hoped that Islamia College was on the way to revive its past glory and would continue to serve the

country.
“After my release from Taliban captivity, we had planned centenary celebrations in March 2015 but it was postponed due to tragic incident of Army Public School on Dec 16,” he recalled.
Syed Kamal Khan, Provost of the Islamia College University, told the participants that around 17,000 male and female students were residing at 12 hostels while a hostel for boys and another for girls had been rented in the area adjacent to the Islamia College in which 600 male and 100 female students were living.
He said strenuous efforts were being made to revive the past academic excellence and discipline at the boarding houses. He said night roll-calls, morning dress parade, study sign hours, dining etiquettes and Friday inspection for checking food quality and cleanliness were being observed.
Senior bureaucrat Mazhar Sajjad while sharing his memories with students recalled that one night back in 1974 he along with some other boarders went to attend a function at the Edwardes College Peshawar and returned late. “To avoid the wrath of the warden over the violation of hostel rules, we spent the night outside in the lawn in the chilly December month,” he recalled.
Another old Islamian, Subhan Sher, a senior session judge in the KP Ehtesab Commission shared that it would take long to revive the past glory but still Islamia College was the emblem of history, culture and academic excellence.
“We would stand in awe of our professors and could not dare violating rules. They would not simply teach, rather they inspired and transformed our lives,” he observed.Senior lawyer Abdul Waheed remarked that he was student of the college in 1955 and felt reincarnated over visiting his room at the Butler hostel. He said he still cherished those sweet memories and nocturnal debates.
Shahid Khan, a young student from Swat, said students had learnt a lot from senior alumni and would try their best to keep up the old traditions of the institution. “Hostel students are enjoying good facilities and getting quality education and are subsequently producing excellent results at various levels,” he added.
Professor Abdul Kabir pointed out that he stayed at ICP hostel during mid-70s and felt proud to be an old Islamian. “I am now 75 years old but got a new life at the reunion. Young people don’t seem to be committed to their real goals. We should not compromise on merit, discipline and quality education,” he added.
An Islamia College University official said similar centenary functions would be conducted at all the boarding houses, including the girls’ hostels, where old students from different walks of life would be invited to express their views and share experiences with the new Islamians.