ISLAMABAD: Several universities and higher education institutes in the capital city have been functioning in a less than required area, while some of them are also involved in the unauthorised use of land, but the Higher Education Commission (HEC) is granting NOCs without scrutinising the relevant record. A well-equipped campus on a reasonable piece of land has great significance for the grooming and learning of the students. The Federal Cabinet had approved the criteria in this regard to ensure the provision of a proper infrastructure, but unfortunately the commission is ignoring the said criteria while issuing the NOCs. A total of 10 acres land including three acres in city and seven acres in the fringes of the city subject to the potential of further development is required for a university while to run a campus of the university, 3.33 acres of land is the required criteria, which was approved by the Federal Cabinet in 2002. But, contrary to the rules, several universities are working in a lesser space as the HEC is not taking the approved criteria seriously and allowed these universities to work by relaxing the thumb rule. As for instance, the Muslim Youth University and the Hamdard University are currently running from the rented building situated at G-10/4 and F-8 Markaz respectively. The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) is functional in 1.3 acres land inside the Quaid-e-Azam University while the Federal Urdu University Islamabad, is working in a building which is situated on a plot measuring around 1 acre only. The Preston University Islamabad is working in the area of 1.6 acres whereas its plot is not for the university but for a school. Furthermore, Shifa Tameer-e-Milat University is working on a plot, which was originally allotted for a clinic dealing with herbal medicines while Iqra University is operating in the building of a hospital. When contacted, the Public Relations Department of the HEC responded: “We do not issue any NOC till the fulfilment of requirements in terms of physical infrastructure, financial and academic and as per approved criteria.” While responding to the aforementioned universities specifically the HEC PR department accepted that the Muslim Youth University and Hamdard University were currently working in rented buildings, but they had purchased the required land to construct their campuses. The response of the HEC further stated that the PIDE was currently running in a lesser area, but a piece of land was also allocated in the COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Islamabad. The question here is that if a categorical criterion has already been approved by the Federal Cabinet than how is the HEC granting NOCs by relaxing the same. Why did the HEC allow the Muslim Youth University and the Hamdard University, when they did not meet the criteria? An insider briefed this scribe: “It is a routine that universities’ management purchased cheap land in the suburbs of the city, but were working from rented buildings in urban areas with the help of the HEC.” He claimed that the HEC issued NOCs by taking bribes or under political pressure.