Bureaucrats occupy college accommodations
College premises, the world over, are inherently exclusive in nature as their academic and accommodation facilities are solely reserved for students, faculty, staff or foreign visitors however, for many government colleges in Sindh, the universal rule does not seem to apply, as several educational institutions turn into residential areas for high ranking state officials.
According to sources privy to The Express Tribune, some bureaucrats and officers from the College Education Department Government of Sindh have been unlawfully residing in quarters and residences located within the premises of at least three government colleges in Karachi namely the Government College of Physical Education Karachi, Government College of Education and the Khatun-e-Pakistan College.
“Many male officers have taken up residence in the Khatun-e-Pakistan College, which is dedicated to women only,” confirmed Professor Farida, Acting Principal at the Khatun-e-Pakistan College, who assured that a staff meeting had been organized by the Sindh Education Minister to investigate the matter.
In his defense, Sulaiman Sial, Regional Director of Managing Authority of Government Colleges of Karachi, who is also one of the officers taking residence at the Khatun-e-Pakistan College, denied the allegations that living within the college was impermissible.
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“The former Secretary of the College Education Department had allotted these accommodations to me and the Deputy Director. Afterwards, the house rent was deducted from our salaries,” exclaimed Sial, who believed that the residence within the college was built for teachers and officers. However, upon being quizzed on whether he was a part of the faculty of the same college in which he had taken residence, Sial did not seem to have an answer.
Meanwhile, despite confirmation from the Regional Director, the Deputy Director of the College Education Department, Rashid Khoso denied the news circulating about him taking up residence in the Khatun-e-Pakistan College.
“I live in my own house with my family. I do not have any accommodation in the girl’s college,” maintained Khoso.
Where the residence of male officials in girls colleges compromises parietal rules, the occupation of accommodation spaces in other government colleges dedicated for visiting faculty, disturbs the logistics of the universities.
“We have come to know that several non-teaching persons are living in the college quarters at the Government College of Education despite not having any reasonable connection with the institution,” revealed Professor Naveed Rab, Principal at the College of Education. Other sources from within the same college reveal that some non-teaching persons staying inside the college premises at the Federal B area were not paying any rent either.
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Similarly, sources also confirmed the residence of the former Regional Director of Colleges Karachi Professor Hafiz Bari among other officers at the Government College of Physical Education Karachi located in Gulistan-e-Johar, inspite of the fact that the accommodation rooms in the college were reserved for visitors from other regions who were visiting the campus for various educational activities.
Speaking to The Express Tribune on the matter, Professor Hafiz Bari too denied the allegations, claiming instead that he was residing at a flat at Gurumandir.
In light of the claims made by several officials confirming the residence of non-teaching persons in colleges, the College Education Department is now considering gathering data of those individuals, who have been allotted quarters or are living inside houses located within government colleges. The data will be collected through a survey, after which appropriate action against the perpetrators will be taken.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 1st, 2023.