QAU helpless before land grabbers: VC

Author: By Muhammad Faisal Kaleem

ISLAMABAD: Country’s top ranked educational institution, the Quaid-i-Azam Universality (QAU) is helpless before land-grabbers, as 210 acres land is under encroachment by locals and influential politicians as the 56 Kanals of land is only under occupation of former chairman senate, said the Vice Chancellor (VC) of the varsity.

VC Dr Javed Ashraf was addressing a press briefing in the varsity on Tuesday.

The university had possession of a total 1,507 acres of land currently, out of the total 1709 acres allocated by the Capital Development Authority (CDA). He said that despite payments amount, the varsity since its creation could not got its complete land as per paid amount.

He said that some influential politicians and local villagers have encroached a large portion of university’s land. For instance, the former chairman senate Nayyer Bokhari had encroached the 56 kanal of the university land. On the encroached land, he said that Bokhari constructed his residence and form house.

When asked for explaining that Bokhari’s stance in which he claimed that he has documents of ownership of his under use land, the VC said that actually the CDA did not demarcate the varsity owned area.

The VC said that the locals inhabitants in the varsity are also causing the security threats for the best ranked university, adding that due to financial constrains the varsity has only total of 110 security guards that are not enough to cover the large area of the varsity.

Moreover, due to locals residing in the varsity the security guards are unable to differentiate them (locals) and outsiders. He explained that it was the responsibility of the CDA to evacuate the land as the agency had been paid for land.

The VC continued to say that the each of his predecessor had tried their best to evacuate the land but still the issue hanged in balance.

He told about the several letters written to various departments including the CDA, cabinet ministers and National Accountancy Bureau (NAB).

While sharing the future strategy about the land evacuation, Ashraf added “we will approach Supreme Court of Pakistan after the mutual consultation with the university legal adviser”.