QAU organisations demand end of illegal occupation on varsity land

Islamabad : Joint Action Committee Against Encroachments at Quaid-i-Azam University, has announced to hold next protest demonstration in front of Parliament House warning that if the University is not given possession of 1,709 acres of land for which it had already paid the amount to CDA, the students will also be brought in the movement.

Comprising representatives of QAU Alumni Association (Quaideen), Academic Staff Association, Officers Welfare Association and Employees Welfare Association, carrying placards and chanting slogans, held a peaceful but effective show of anger in front of National Press Club here Wednesday.

The speakers demanded putting an end to illegal occupation of 298 acres of precious QAU land and handing over the whole land totalling 1,709 acres to this prestigious and top ranking seat of higher learning and research in Pakistan.

The protest was attended by senior members of QAU Alumni Association, QAU faculty and representatives from employees, students and civil society.

It was also decided that all possible options will be utilised for putting an end to illegal occupation of QAU land which not only government institution like National Centre for Physics, PASTIC, SUPARCO and PIDE but also villagers whose parents and grandparents had been given compensation are occupying the land.

The speakers expressed serious concerns that despite passage of another year, no concrete step was undertaken to get QAU land vacated from the illegal occupants.

While sharing the background of the issue, it was revealed that despite payment for 1,709 Acres, QAU is having shortfall of 450 acres of allotted land due to illegal occupation of 298 acres and non-handing over of 152 acres. The non- resolution of this important issue created a lot of problems in terms of security and development work.

Due to this issue, this premier higher education institution could not construct boundary wall or complete any development work on the campus. University faced a lot of resistance from local villagers living inside the Campus when University was constructing Hostels 9 and 10 and new blocks for Biological Sciences. Many of these so-called affectees have jobs in QAU and threatened the new Vice-Chancellor Dr Muhammad Ai with dire consequences verbally and through letters.

The joint action committee also demanded to the concerned authorities of Federal Government to resolve this long pending issue on immediate basis without any further delay. The anti-encroachment drive should include end of illegal occupation of complete encroached QAU land on priority basis, it said.

Meanwhile, it was also resolved that a proactive role of joint action committee comprising members of QAU Alumni Association, elected representatives of ASA, OWA, EVA and all other stakeholders would be convened to take stock of the situation and further devise strategy to pursue the issue in effective and decisive manner.

Renowned educationist and former faculty member of QAU Dr A H Nayyar who along with Dr Pervaiz Hoodbhoy had successfully campaigned against privatisation of the Campus land in late 1990s speaking on the occasion said that University is situated at a picturesque and crucial location so the influential people and institutions had been eyeing over its land. He said that earlier Parliamentarians also tried to usurp it but Campus community did not allow it. He said that as no action was taken against those occupying it by the administration, it encouraged land mafia and later some other influential people also jumped in. He expressed his satisfaction that university of late has started taking action on this issue.

Dr Nayyar said that now that the whole country is talking against encroachments, this is a right timing to reclaim our usurped land.

Other speakers vowed to continue the movement till end of complete encroachments. President of Alumni Association Sikandar Ahmed Rai, President Academic Staff Association Dr Aqeel Bukhari, Vice Chancellor Muslim Youth University Dr Tahir Hijazi, President, Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Associations (Islamabad chapter) Dr Sohail, first President of QAU Students Union Dr Shoaib and representatives of QAU employees and students also spoke on the occasion.