A tight fit: GPGC Mardan students to study under tents as AWKUM occupies premises
Government college’s property has not been vacated even after a four-year contract expired.
A former official of GPGC said more than Rs20 billion has been spent by AWKUM on their temporary campus on occupied land. PHOTO: FILE
PESHAWAR:
Four years after loaning its premises to another university, Government Postgraduate College (GPGC) Mardan has no space to seat students, putting the future of hundreds at stake.
GPGC Principal Fayaz Ali Shah told The Express Tribune the college’s activities have been greatly hampered after they loaned their premises in 2009 to then newly-established Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan (AWKUM). Shah said GPGC had signed a four-year agreement with AWKUM, allowing them to make a start on GPGC’s land, however, the property has not been returned even though the contract has expired.
The foundation stone of GPGC was laid on 14 December, 1952 by Khwaja Shahabuddin, the governor of then North West Frontier Province. Shah says the college, one of the oldest in the province, is now dilapidated, a shadow of its former self.
Like sardines in a tin
The principal said 45 classrooms, a multipurpose sports ground, three hostels and a mosque were in AWKUM’s possession. The previous government obtained around 2,000 kanals of land for the university to construct its own building, yet it continues to occupy 100 kanals of GPGC’s property, worth millions. GPGC is left with 160 kanals, which accommodate 4,000 students. According to Shah, if the college property is returned, they could easily fit in another 2,000 students.
“GPGC is currently conducting lessons in only 10 classrooms. We have talented teachers who are also frustrated and are suffering because of these conditions.” He termed the decisions of the previous government as “unwise”.
“The AWKUM is now self-sufficient in terms of resources and is well established,” claimed GPGC’s principal. “The university should not educate their students at the cost of GPGC students.”
“However, we are left with no option but to continue classes in the congested space which we have,” added Shah. He has repeatedly requested the AWKUM administration to provide him with only a portion of the land to facilitate a smoother time-table for college students, but has been unsuccessful.
“Currently, the examination hall is also being used as a classroom. We have been forced to borrow 10 tents from Government Postgraduate College Abbottabad to use as makeshift classrooms. I will get these tents installed over the next few days, as, at the moment, the education of at least 600 pupils is being disrupted.” After the GPGC gave the university 387 chairs and 80 charpoys, college students were left with no more than a few chairs.
“The situation has reached a point where even our hostel has not been vacated by AWKUM despite repeated requests. We have no place to house our on-campus students who come to study from far off districts,” complained the GPGC principal.
A former official of GPGC, on condition of anonymity, told The Express Tribune more than Rs20 billion has been spent by AWKUM on their temporary campus on occupied land. “It would have been much better had they spent this amount on constructing a new campus on the 2,000 kanals purchased for them.”
Shah said he has taken up the issue with the Higher Education Department (HED) and sent them all documents related to the agreement but the HED is yet to take any steps to redress the issue.
Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Higher Education Mushtaq Ghani said he would inquire about the documents submitted by the GPGC principal and would form a committee to look into the matter. He claimed no one had taken up the issue with him as yet. However, he drew attention to a similar situation where AWKUM had occupied the premises of a college in Buner.
When contacted, AWKUM Registrar Dr Saeed Islam said he did not have a clear idea of the situation.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 24th, 2013.
Four years after loaning its premises to another university, Government Postgraduate College (GPGC) Mardan has no space to seat students, putting the future of hundreds at stake.
GPGC Principal Fayaz Ali Shah told The Express Tribune the college’s activities have been greatly hampered after they loaned their premises in 2009 to then newly-established Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan (AWKUM). Shah said GPGC had signed a four-year agreement with AWKUM, allowing them to make a start on GPGC’s land, however, the property has not been returned even though the contract has expired.
The foundation stone of GPGC was laid on 14 December, 1952 by Khwaja Shahabuddin, the governor of then North West Frontier Province. Shah says the college, one of the oldest in the province, is now dilapidated, a shadow of its former self.
Like sardines in a tin
The principal said 45 classrooms, a multipurpose sports ground, three hostels and a mosque were in AWKUM’s possession. The previous government obtained around 2,000 kanals of land for the university to construct its own building, yet it continues to occupy 100 kanals of GPGC’s property, worth millions. GPGC is left with 160 kanals, which accommodate 4,000 students. According to Shah, if the college property is returned, they could easily fit in another 2,000 students.
“GPGC is currently conducting lessons in only 10 classrooms. We have talented teachers who are also frustrated and are suffering because of these conditions.” He termed the decisions of the previous government as “unwise”.
“The AWKUM is now self-sufficient in terms of resources and is well established,” claimed GPGC’s principal. “The university should not educate their students at the cost of GPGC students.”
“However, we are left with no option but to continue classes in the congested space which we have,” added Shah. He has repeatedly requested the AWKUM administration to provide him with only a portion of the land to facilitate a smoother time-table for college students, but has been unsuccessful.
“Currently, the examination hall is also being used as a classroom. We have been forced to borrow 10 tents from Government Postgraduate College Abbottabad to use as makeshift classrooms. I will get these tents installed over the next few days, as, at the moment, the education of at least 600 pupils is being disrupted.” After the GPGC gave the university 387 chairs and 80 charpoys, college students were left with no more than a few chairs.
“The situation has reached a point where even our hostel has not been vacated by AWKUM despite repeated requests. We have no place to house our on-campus students who come to study from far off districts,” complained the GPGC principal.
A former official of GPGC, on condition of anonymity, told The Express Tribune more than Rs20 billion has been spent by AWKUM on their temporary campus on occupied land. “It would have been much better had they spent this amount on constructing a new campus on the 2,000 kanals purchased for them.”
Shah said he has taken up the issue with the Higher Education Department (HED) and sent them all documents related to the agreement but the HED is yet to take any steps to redress the issue.
Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Higher Education Mushtaq Ghani said he would inquire about the documents submitted by the GPGC principal and would form a committee to look into the matter. He claimed no one had taken up the issue with him as yet. However, he drew attention to a similar situation where AWKUM had occupied the premises of a college in Buner.
When contacted, AWKUM Registrar Dr Saeed Islam said he did not have a clear idea of the situation.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 24th, 2013.