TOBA TEK SINGH: University of Agriculture Faisalabad’s Vice Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan has written a letter to the Faisalabad deputy commissioner and CPO, accusing PML-N MPA Zafar Iqbal Nagra of trying to occupy university’s 19 kanal land in the guise of Anjum-e-Data Ganj Buksh Ali Hajvary, also known as Darbar Baba Qaim Sain.

The land was returned to the university in August 2019 as a consequence of an order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2001.

The VC said using his political influence, the MPA was again trying to occupy the UAF land -- previously in the name of Janazgah and now as Eidgah. He said the university had kept the Janazgah intact since 2019 while there had been no Eidgah or any Eid event during the UAF possession.

He said Nagra and former MNA Raja Riaz Ahmad were attempting to create a law and order situation by misleading the neighborhood that the government had allowed the use of university land as Eidgah.

‘MPA Nagra, Raja Riaz trying to create law & order situation on Eid’; both reject VC’s claim

He said the entire exercise was aimed at grabbing the university land for personal gains. He claimed that Zafar Iqbal Nagra and his family had collected at least Rs 21.568 million as rent by illegally occupying the land since the decision of the Supreme Court in 2001 to 2019. He said Nagra did not belong to PP-109 (which covers the UAF as well).

The VC requested the DC and CPO to recover the ill-gotten amount from Nagra and use force to prevent illegal occupation by miscreants in the name of Eidgah.

He requested them to apprise the Chief Minister office that illegal occupation of public property by an MPA of the ruling party would bring a bad name to the PML-N. He said to further the cause of protecting university property, we had also moved a petition in the LHC.

UAF spokesman Dr Jalal Arif appealed to the citizens to support truth and don’t take law in their hands.

MPA Nagra claimed that the land in question was not owned by the UAF. As per the revenue record, it was provincial government property in the possession of the ADGBH and used for Janazgah and Eidgah since 1965.

He said on his request CM Maryam Nawaz had formed a three-members committee headed by senior member board of revenue who had convened a meeting on April 4 where, he (Nagra), VC and Raja Riaz were also present. It was decided in the meeting that the UAF would allow offering of Eid prayers at the land but it (UAF) had got a stay order from the LHC.

He said even if the stay remained enforced, “we and hundreds will obey court order and offer Eid prayers on the Ghulam Muhammadabad main road.

He hoped that revenue board would give verdict in favour of the ADGBH.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2024