tudents who come to study at Islamabad colleges have to arrange for accommodation on their own. None of the public sector boys` colleges offer hostel facilities to their students.

The federal colleges take in students from every corner of the country and have a special quota for students from Fata, GilgitBaltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

All students from outside the city have to stay in expensive private hostels. One such student spoke to Dawn on the condition of anonymity and said, `My college does not have a hostel which gives me no other option but to stay at a private hostel where I have to pay Rs6,000 per month.` He said the mix of tenants in private hostels was not ideal for students as people from all walks of life lived there and it was hard to concentrate on studying.

Some coIIeges used to provide accommodation to their students but have since closed their hostels for various reasons.

Commerce College H-8 also stopped offering accommodation for students many years ago.

Professor Ishfaq Ahmed, who teaches at the college, said, `We were short of classrooms, so we started holding some classes in the hostel building which had been left out of use for various reasons. Our students who come from far-away areas have no choice but to stay in private hostels.

Similarly, Postgraduate College closed its hostel in 2008 due to renovation work. Till date, their hostel remains closed.

Principal of Postgraduate College Professor Khurshid Ahmed Shakoori said, `We really need a hostel for our students and are trying to get the building repaired and open as soon as possible.

The Islamabad Model College for Boys, F-10, does not have a hostel building while Model College for Boys H-9 has a building but it is used by the Pakistan Baitul Maal.

Professor Sagheer Ahmed Mirani of Model College said they accommodated over 25 students in separate buildings. He said, `Because our hostel is being used by the Baitul Maal, we have to turn away 100 students who apply for a hostel room every year.

Professor Mirani requested the federal minster for Capital Administration and Development Division to look into the matter.

He said, `It is very unfortunate that we have four boys` coIIeges in the capital city but that none of them have boarding facilities for their students.

-By Kashif Abbasi