PESHAWAR – A major scandal of illegal occupation has surfaced in the hostels of the University of Peshawar, where as many as 190 rooms have reportedly been occupied by non-students.
According to sources, leaders and activists of various student organizations have established illegal occupation of hostel rooms for years. Among them is the Insaf Students Federation (ISF), the student wing backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) provincial government.
The sources revealed that many of these occupiers are no longer enrolled students of the university, having completed their degrees long ago, but are still living in the hostels and using their political influence to maintain control. Furthermore, these illegal occupants are not paying any hostel rent, dues or utility charges, causing financial loss to the university. Due to this illegal occupation, newly admitted students, especially those coming from far-flung areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and merged districts, are facing severe accommodation problems and are forced to seek expensive private hostels in the city. Students have complained that despite repeated applications, the university administration is not allotting rooms, citing non-availability.
On the other hand, the University of Peshawar administration is reluctant to take any action against the illegal occupants due to political pressure and fear of the law-and-order situation created by student wings. Academic circles and parents have demanded that the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who is also the Chancellor of the university, and the Higher Education Department take immediate notice of the situation, vacate the hostels of illegal occupants, and ensure allotment of rooms to deserving students on merit.
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