ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Education has convened the first meeting of the joint working group (JWG) of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) on Sunday to settle land swap issues arising out of the Bhara Kahu bypass project.

Additional Secretary Education Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry will chair the meeting.

According to the meeting notice issued by the education ministry on Friday, CDA’s Member Estate Afnan Alam, Member Planning Waseem Hayat Bajwa and Deputy Director General Land Umar Randhawa will attend the meeting. QAU’s senior dean and elected member of the syndicate Dr Mohammad Idrees and syndicate members Prof Dr Tasawar Hayat and Dr Sohail Yousaf and Registrar Dr Qaiser Ahmed will represent their institution.

Meanwhile, a notification issued by the education ministry said the working group will be headed by Additional Secretary Waseem Chaudhry while Deputy Secretary Razia Ramzan Dossa will act as its secretary.

Report to be submitted to university syndicate by Oct 20

The notification said the committee/working group will deliberate upon eight matters and would submit a consolidated report to the university syndicate by Oct 20.

The working group will also deliberate on resolving encroachment issues and claims of rehabilitation and residents (if any) in line with CDA’s rules, regulations and the rehabilitation policy. It will also discuss ways for complying with the Islamabad High Court (IHC) orders passed in 2020 regarding university’s land.

The group will also discuss payment of annual ground rent and renewal of lease of the QAU land, which was allotted in 1988, the issue of environment impact assessment (EIA) and cutting of trees, providing an underpass and soundproof infrastructure close to the university colony, leveling of newly-proposed land and any additional matter in agreement between the CDA and QAU.

It may be noted that the QAU syndicate on Wednesday conditionally approved the land swap deal with the CDA.

The syndicate headed by QAU Vice Chancellor Dr Mohammad Ali, however, proposed to the JWG to finalise recommendations for resolving all the pending issues between the university and the CDA. The recommendations would be presented before the syndicate at its next meeting slated to be held after a week.

Sources said 12 members (seven in person and five online) of the syndicate attended the meeting and nine of them stated that if the road was being constructed for larger public interest and CDA was offering am alternative land in the same area, there was no harm to accept the land swap deal.

On the other hand, three members - a senior dean and two representatives of the faculty - strongly opposed the move and stated that the university land should not be utilised for the road project.

They also said the QAU shared a tormenting history with the CDA as demarcation of the university’s already allotted land had been pending for years while there were encroachments on the QAU land.

According to the CDA, 199 kanals of QAU fell in the alignment of the road. In lieu of this, the CDA had already issued an offer letter to the university proposing the allotment of 225 kanals in eastern side of the QAU boundary and quantum of land is contiguity of university’s boundary limits. The CDA had stated that it chopped off only eucalyptus trees and against one cut tree the civic agency will plant 10 trees.

Following launch of the road project, the QAU faculty members and netizens alleged that the CDA was encroaching on the university land.

On the other hand, the CDA stated that its board in June this year, in the presence and consent of the QAU vice chancellor had decided that the bypass road would cross through the university area and CDA would provide an alternative land to it in same area under a land swap deal.

The five km bypass road starts near Malpur at the university land and passes through Kot Hatyal area before ending on Murree Road near Jugi stop where it will have one km flyover. The project was recently inaugurated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who directed the CDA to complete it within four months.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2022