Youth want more hostels in twin cities

Every year thousands of youth from far flung areas of the country migrate to the twin cities to seek an education or jobs and have to face accommodation problems due to the lack of hostels.
The students have urged the government to address their problem by providing sufficient accommodation facilities, as most of the universities and colleges either have insufficient hostel facilities or have no such arrangements.
Zahoor Ahmad Khan told APP on Thursday that he belonged to a village of Gilgit-Baltistan and was studying at the Islamic International University.
Due to non-availability of accommodation in the university hostels, he was living at a private hostel and paying Rs 8,000 which was very difficult for him to afford.
He said the private hostels besides lacking proper cleanliness, provide sub-standard food and charge extra amount on account of utility bills for using electric fan or room coolers in summer and gas heaters in winter.
Zahoor urged the authorities concerned to establish more government hostels, with basic facilities for students at affordable rates.
Mohammad Bilal, another student, said the rents of hostels and houses had surged during a last few years due to the influx of students and job seekers to the twin cities.
“I am paying Rs 9,000 for a single unfurnished room, and the owner raises the rent by 10 percent every year,” he added.
Another student Sehrish Ali said she was sharing a small room in a private hostel with four other girls and was paying Rs 5,000 per month, inclusive charges for two time meals and breakfast.
She complained of the same problems like lack of proper cleanliness and sub-standard food.
She stressed that the educational instructions should be bound by the authorities concerned to provide boarding, lodging and other facilities to their students as most of them functioning up in hired buildings lack space and other facilities.
Waheed Ahmad, living in Shamsabad, said the main cause of the accommodation shortage in twin cities was lack of hostels and proper housing schemes.
He said he had been facing residential problem since the time, he came to Islamabad to complete his studies and now he was working here.