QAU Hostel Problems
QAU Hostel Problems
The Rising menace within the Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) Hostels
Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) is one of the most advanced universities in Pakistan and is renowned for its high academic standards. But it has a very serious issue that is occurring in its center of student accommodation. There are illegal occupants who have moved in hostels and are posing significant problems to bona fide students and the university management. These people are not registered students, and their existence is causing issues concerning security, space and discipline that is reflected as a black spot on life on campus.
Who are the Illegal Squatters?
According to the reports made by the university, the situation is worrying. Many residents of the hostels are not received in the hostels. They do not even have any program at QAU. Reports indicate that many such illegal inhabitants are of ethnicity, which is mainly Baloch and Pashtun.
They have been able to find rooms with the help of student groups, therefore grabbing the space that deserving students on long lists would have.
Others are also reportedly working as the proxy or the agent of political organizations outside the university including the Balochistan Yakjehti Committee.
They have no business being here, they are here to advance their own causes, and they utilize the university campus as the center of all their operations.
A Campus in Crisis, Problems that they are bringing about
This influx of the outsiders poses serious issues that interfere with the tranquility of the academics at the university are:
Mafia Style Authority and Interference
Such criminal organizations tend to bear aspects about a mafia. They also intimidate and take control of the resources and space in the hostels. They are considered troublemakers and blowing small obligations out of proportion causing large conflicts. Even a minor grievance, such as a complaint of hostel cleanliness, can be converted easily into a mass agitation.
These demonstrations interfere with the everyday activity of the college. The schoolwork is canceled, the exams are suspended, and work in administration is brought to naught. This harms the image of the university and more significantly it harms the studies of thousands of the genuine students who are just there to study.
Lack of Space for Real Students
Very little hostel space exists at QAU. Hundreds of students in remote cities request a room each year but not all get one as there is no vacancy. This is much worsened by occupants who are illegal and occupy some great rooms. It is highly unjust that registered, fee paying students are made to put themselves up in costly external living conditions when outsiders just squat on campus.
Illegal drugs and other offenses
More is to it than space and protests. Drug use and dealing can be reported to involve these criminal residents with alarming rates. The hostels should form a safe place for young scholars. Instead, they are turning into centers of illegal practices which expose everyone to dangers. This develops a culture of fear and destroys discipline, which is much needed in a healthy academic environment.
Why QAU? The Open Campus Problem
It is a common phenomenon many of us wonder why such a problem is so high at QAU as compared to other universities.
There are around 26 universities in Islamabad and none of them has the issues reported on this level. The explanation is that the physical structure of the university offers the answer.
QAU is an open campus. It lacks a good boundary wall that encloses its large land. Through this people can easily enter and leave the campus unscreened. The wilderness and the open areas act as cover and shelters of these individuals. Through their contacts within, they can easily get into the hostels and fit in. Other universities in the capital on the other hand are surrounded by high walls and secured gates to an extent that it is almost impossible that an outsider can be allowed to come and dwell here illegally.
The Female students arrived with fear
The female students are, perhaps, the most troubling one to be affected. The fact that there are so many strangers and unauthorized men walking around in the campus and in the male hostels presents a continuous sense of insecurity.
College girls say they don’t feel safe at night. The hostels are also meant to be their second home and something where they should feel like being protected. It is horrifying to know that mere strangers living without an official affiliation to the university are living in a vicinity that can be achieved by a short walk. They believe that they are observed and exposed. This fear has an impact on how they can study, socialize and move around their own campus. It is a direct danger to their welfare and safety of secure education.
The Way Out
The case of Quaid-i-Azam University is serious. Dislodging these illegal occupants in the hostels is a big challenge to the administration in bringing back order. Thousands of actual students and their safety and academic futures are at risk. Strict rulings and decisive measures are what necessitate taking back the campus because of these problematic factors. Learning should take place in the university but not insecure. It is the protection of the students that should be the primary emphasis because they are here for right reason to acquire a world class education.
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this article are exclusively those of the author and do not reflect the official stance, policies, or perspectives of the Platform.
