Irecently happened to attend a function of the historic Islamia College, Peshawar, at one of its hostels named after the legendary freedom fighter and religious scholar Haji Sahib of Turangzai.

The event reminded me of the good old days when I was an intermediate student way back in the mid 1990s. The strict college life, tough hostel routine, food, senior monitor, watchman and senior warden would all become the butt of our criticism in the skits. It was our way of expressing our anguish against the things not going our way there.

This time when I entered the hostel I met my old chemistry teacher Mr Eidur Rahman Khattak, a strict disciplinarian and a dedicated teacher at the college. Always discipline-personified, he never introduced any rule that he would himself not obey. “The best can never rest” was his guiding principle. On his turn to go up on the stage he made an earnest request to the 200 students, “All of you, please go back to your rooms and switch off the lights and fans there before returning back here. Leaving the lights needlessly on is a great national loss besides being a gross violation of hostel rules.”

Surprisingly enough, all the resident students of the Turangzai hostel went back to their respective rooms, switched off the lights and returned to the function while their old professor waited for them to retake their seats. Mr Khattak retired from service in 2009 but still shows up occasionally on the request of the serving teachers so that they can benefit from his experience.

When he joined Islamia College, Peshawar, as a teacher in the early 1980s, some golden traditions of the college had already eroded with the rules not being followed. While running the college’s 12 hostels his aim was to implement all rules in letter and spirit. In doing so he became the symbol of fear but his honesty and fairness were appreciated also.

The Islamia College, Peshawar, will be celebrating its platinum jubilee in November when old and new Islamians in their black sherwanis hold another get-together to share their fond memories on the college’s lush green lawns.

“Bow your heads when entering this great seat of learning because you come here with empty heads and walk out with your heads raised because then your brains are filled with knowledge and wisdom. Everything you do here will translate into your later life.” Mr Khattak’s golden words struck a chord with his students.