Land grabbing: TI, Baligh come to QAU’s rescue

About 202 acres of varsity encroached upon by villagers and land grabbers

ISLAMABAD: In a letter to national corruption watchdog over illegal occupation of Quaid-i-Azam University land, Transparency International Pakistan has called for an investigation into the matter and initiate action against the responsible persons.

The letter that directly addresses the  Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) asks to investigate ‘mega corruption scandal’ and role of Capital Development Authority (CDA) officials in it and if found factual recover the land from grabbers and take action against them and officials responsible.

About 202 acres of varsity were encroached upon by various villagers and land grabbers, while 56 kanals of the property are being held by a former chairman of the Senate of Pakistan, according to varsity officials. Some 300 occupied by tenants and 200 more are missing from the official records which were never handed over to varsity despite payments. Moreover, CDA and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration failed to play any role, they say.

The varsity recently wrote a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office, cabinet ministers and the NAB about the issue. On November 8, QAU had filed a formal request for NAB assistance in this matter. There has been some movement in terms of procedure from NAB’s side but the formal investigation is yet to start. The matter was raised in the National Assembly too by legislators.

On December 26, TI wrote the letter that quotes a recently written article by former QAU’s Physics Department head Pervez Hoodbhoy. The article in national English newspaper highlights the issue of land grabbing faced by main universities and questions whether the higher learning institute should buy weapons to secure their lands.

TI also criticised Minister of State for Education, Professional Training, Interior and Narcotics, Muhammad Baligurur Rehman for not being aware of the on-ground situation and quoting a 10-year-old survey in response to a question raised in the lower house of parliament. The minister had informed the National Assembly that about 600 acres of varsity land was under adverse occupation, quoting data from the Survey of Pakistan 2006.

Zero tolerance for QAU land grabbers, says Baligh

Separately, minister of State for Education, Professional Training, Interior and Narcotics, Muhammad Baligurur Rehman also addressing a ceremony said that there will be zero tolerance towards land encroachment at the varsity.

At the launch ceremony of a research report on ‘Understanding Marginalised Communities in Different Cultural Contexts’, conducted by the Department of Anthropology, QAU, with the support of Oxfam, the minister said, steps have already been taken to resolve the land issue of QAU and in future, there will be noticeable improvement.

He further lauded QAU for being ranked the fourth-best university in South Asia and the best in the region outside India.  QAU was ranked 95th in Asia by US News and World Report.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2016.