ISLAMABAD: A joint action committee of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) on Wednesday staged a protest that aimed to draw the government’s attention towards encroachment on university land.

Protesters, who gathered in front of National Press Club, comprised representatives of the QAU Alumni Association, Academic Staff Association, employees of QAU and students.

The protesters demanded removal of encroachment from 298 acres of QAU land.

They said QAU was allotted 1,709 acres by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), but there was a shortfall of 450 acres as 298 acres had been illegally occupied. Besides, 152 acres have yet to be handed over to the university by CDA.

Speaking on the occasion, QAU Alumni Association President Sikandar Ahmed Rai, Academic Staff Association QAU President Dr Aqeel Bukhari, Muslim Youth

University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Hijazi Syed, renowned educationist and scientist Dr A.H. Nayyar, and others spoke on the occasion.

They said they would continue raising their voice until the government started operations against the encroachers.

The protesters said that because of encroachment the university was facing security challenges and hurdles to development.

According to the university, the CDA had not handed over complete vacant land to the university, thus the institution inherited a number of illegal occupants, including nine villages spread over about 298 acres inside the campus.

Besides, further encroachment was also carried out by the locals.

However, the controversy came to an end last year, when on-ground demarcation carried out by the Survey of Pakistan, which was later endorsed by CDA, revealed that the land on the west side of a stream coming from Shahdara Valley and flowing between Wapda grid station and Bhara Kahu belonged to the QAU.

According to the Survey of Pakistan report, all houses were actually built on QAU land.

After this development, the university, through public notices, warned the encroachers to vacate the area,but to no avail.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2019