ISLAMABAD: The Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), which has been struggling to get its land vacated from encroachers, has installed new signboards on its land warning the land grabbers to vacate its property voluntarily or face legal proceedings.

According to a demarcation carried out by the Survey of Pakistan and endorsed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), the land located on the right side of a nullah coming from Shahdara, including the Bhara Kahu grid station, was owned by the QAU, the university stated.

The estate office of the university warned that the sale and purchase of land in that land was illegal and all encroachers should leave the area immediately.

The chronic issue of encroachment on the QAU land by local people, including a politician, was taken up at a number of times by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Education. However, the issue is still not resolved.

New signboards installed on varsity land after demarcation by Survey of Pakistan

QAU officials said a portion of the varsity’s land was under illegal occupation of land grabbers. In 2016, the university in a press release accused former Senate chairman Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokahri of encroaching on a portion of its land.

But Mr Bokhari denied the allegation and said the land under his possession was legitimate and he possessed the ownership documents.

In 1967, the CDA had earmarked 1,709 acres for the university but the QAU received 1,509 acres, out of which over 200 acres is under illegal occupation.

On May 30, on its last working day, the members of the then NA standing committee visited the QAU and recommended a number of actions to remove the encroachments.

According to minutes of the visit, which were issued by the NA secretariat, it was recommended that the QAU shall issue notices to all the illegal inhabitants with a deadline to vacate the land.

The committee also recommended that the university shall make efforts for disconnecting utility services such as electricity, gas, water to the illegal inhabitants.

It also recommended that the university shall ensure that no further connections for utilities were issued by any authority to the illegal dwellers on the university land.

The university shall terminate services of all employees who were living in illegal houses. The university was also asked to be vigilant to ensure that no building material reached the illegal houses for expansion.

The committee also recommended that the university shall take measures through the revenue department, Survey of Pakistan, courts and the police to get its land vacated as early as possible.

When contacted, QAU Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Ashraf told Dawn that following the recommendations of the committee signboards had been installed on the land and warning issued to the land grabbers.

He said during his four-year tenure, he made every possible effort to get the land vacated.

“I wrote to the Supreme Court, held meetings with ministers, mayor and the chairman CDA to discuss the issue.” The VC said the university would take steps in the light of recommendations of the standing committee to get its land vacated.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2018