Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The issue of giving the land of the Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) to the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) hangs in the balance as many forums have rejected the proposed idea.

Last year the PIDE management had formally requested the QAU for acquiring 17 acres land worth Rs 500 million. But the request was withdrawn after a strong opposition by the academics as well as the varsity syndicate, an internal apex body of policy and decision making.

The PIDE is a subsidiary organisation of the Planning Commission functioning since 1977 in a building established on a four acre land patch of the QAU. The PIDE is availing the current location of land on a “100-year free of cost lease agreement” with the QAU.

The Higher Education Commission in November 2006, granted a degree awarding status to the PIDE.

The Vice Chancellor Dr.Javed Ashraf said in a statement that the proposal of land was a goodwill gesture of the Planning Commission to the QAU. He said that the relocation of the PIDE campus from one part of the QAU to another part of did not amount to “selling” the QAU land.

The PIDE management intends to shift its campus on any vast location as currently the campus land area is very congested and cannot accommodate the growing number of students.

Keeping the institute’s need in consideration, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has also allotted 17.55 acres in Sector H-11/2 to the PIDE. The copy of the CDA letter contains the details of allotment and is available with Daily Times.

An official in the varsity, on anonymity said that actually the PIDE was not willing to shift its campus on the land allotted by the CDA because its management wishes to use the name of the QAU by staying in the varsity location, “The PIDE always used the name of the QAU in its admission advertisements to attract the students”, said the official.

There is a dual consensus in the varsity with some officials opposing the decision and others favouring the same. The supporters are of the view that sale of land will fetch around Rs500 million from the PIDE, which can be used to execute urgent projects in the varsity to enhance its infrastructure and other academic facilities.

On the other hand those who are opposing the decision say that granting the land to the PIDE will give other government and non-government organisations a legitimate right to set up their campuses on the QAU land after paying a small sum of money. The varsity land had already been encroached upon by local villagers and an influential former senator, they said, adding that over 650 acres of the QAU land were under adverse possession. A faculty member, who wished not to be named, said that the sale of land to the PIDE would set a tradition for ever and that was very noxious for the university’s future. According to sources, the proposal was strongly apposed in a syndicate meeting held in April this year. However, last month the VC held a meeting of senior academics of various departments in the varsity. In the meeting a show-hand voting was conducted wherein the 18 participants opposed while 20 others favoured the decision of handing over the land to the PIDE.

An official familiar with the voting process said that those who opposed the move had insisted on holding a voting competition through belt papers. According to them (opponents), many academics did not want to confront the boss (VC). Despite that the opposition won 18 votes,very close to the confronted party who voted in favour of the move, claimed the official. Moreover, an online referendum was conducted by the QAU Alumni Association Pakistan on Wednesday for getting the views of the old students of the QAU. A majority of the students opposed handing over the land. They participated in the referendum through Facebook, What’s App and mobile SMS.

According to the referendum’s result, a total of 2924 alumni members actively participated in the poll. Out of them 113 people supported the proposal of leasing the land to the PIDE while 2811 opposed the idea.

When contacted, VC Ashraf said that the land was being relocated after the approval of the syndicate,the academics and the mutual understanding of the PIDE and the Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal.

When asked about the opposition shown in the syndicate meeting, he said all syndicate members had favoured the deal except one.