JAC to continue struggle for protection of QAU rights

Islamabad : Joint Action Committee (JAC) on Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) expressed its grave concern over apathy of the government in removing land grabbers, encroachers and so-called CDA-affectees illegally occupying 450 acres of QAU land.

The meeting was convened by Quaideen, the Alumni Association of QAU, here Sunday and also attended by representatives of Academic Staff Association, Officers Welfare Association, Employees Welfare Association and students with Rai Sikandar, President of the alumni in the chair.

The meeting, held after laps of months giving enough time to the Ministerial Committee on QAU Land to resolve the issue, strongly resented that the Ministerial Committee announced meetings four times with the lapse of a month each time but none could be convened due to one reason or the other. Many participants pointed out that the issue was taken up by the new Vice-Chancellor Prof Muhammad Ali on the behest of the government. But after starting the operation half-heartedly, the vested interest which included PPP leader Nayyar Bokhari and local PTI MNAs moved to scuttle the exercise. The local PTI leadership even misguided the Ministers and succeeded in putting the issue under the carpet.

The JAC was informed by Bakht Rehman, the project director, that the CDA report submitted in Supreme Court and minutes of a meeting held on January 15 at the campus released by CDA endorsed the legal claim of QAU over 1,709 acres of the land. The participants were further informed that the report of Survey of Pakistan dated 29/09/2017 also corroborates this.

CDA had clearly stated that QAU had paid entire amount for 1,709 acres, 4 kanals and 12 marlas. The JAC meeting expressed its anguish and dismay that 450 acres are still in the illegal possession of ‘qabza mafia’ which also includes villagers, land-grabbers politicians and a judge of Islamabad High Court also.

The illegal encroachments have become chronic threat to the security and development projects and illegal occupants always resist any new construction on the university's own land. The construction of buildings of Academic Block-I and students hostels nos. 11-12 under the PSDP projects remained suspended for years due to intervention and stay orders secured by so-called CDA-affectees from lower courts.

The JAC was told that National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education & Professional Training showed its deep concern on the illegal encroachment of the QAU land and behaviour of concerned government departments during its visit to QAU on May 30 last year and directed all concerned to take necessary measures against all illegal encroachers after which the operation was started.

The committee suggested that as per latest report by Survey of Pakistan, concrete measures should be undertaken by the Federal Government to ensure handing over of complete 1,709 acres land to QAU so that it may meet growing needs of its students.

The meeting requested the prime minister and federal interior minister for complete removal of illegal occupations and complete handing over 1,709 Acres of QAU land as per commitment of the present government.

Speaking on the occasion, Aziz Nishter, chairperson JAC alleged that a top notch of the QAU Administration was not cooperating in the exercise and revealed that letters sent by the VC in the land grabbing case are not sent to the concerned quarters and instead only an office copy is maintained in the record.