MULTAN: The building of the College of Design, an affiliated college of the Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design, has been occupied illegally.

Reports say that Principal Azam Jamal has moved an application to the Bahauddin Zakariya SHO to help vacate the illegal occupation of the college building.

The principal has stated in his application that the college is being run under the Ministry of Commerce.

He said the college building had been hired on rent on Multan Public Road in 2011 from Zahida Saleem Khakwani and the college administration was paying the agreed rent to the owner.

The last payment for three months was made in advance on May 15 through a cheque, but a few days after getting the rent the owner issued a notice to the college administration to vacate the building,” he said.

“I met the owner and asked her to give a few months time for shifting the building as the advance payment of rent had already been paid,” the principal said. In the meanwhile, the building owner started issuing threats, he said.

Mr Jamal said that instead of complying with the agreement Tahir Saleem Khakwani, the husband of the owner along his men, entered the college building on Sept 25 and the police was informed about the incident.

“On Sept 27, about 50 people carrying arms entered the building and tortured the college staff and forced them to leave the premises,” he alleged.

The principal said that furniture and other belongings of the college were later shifted to some unidentified place on tractor-trolleys.

He requested the SHO to take legal action and recover stolen goods besides getting the building vacated from illegal occupiers.

Sources said the building had been sold out to the Defense Housing Authority for the establishment of its office.

They said the college administration was being threatened to vacate the building from various corners although the owner was bound to give a three-month prior notice to the college administration.

SHO Khalid Baloch said the police had received the application and action would be taken after hearing both parties on Monday (today).

Published in Dawn, September 29th , 2014