Students, teachers and staff protest against illegal occupation of college

Accuse politicians of moral corruption, supporting land mafia

ISLAMABAD: The students, teaching and nonteaching staff of Islamabad Model College for Boys Sector H-9 held a protest rally on the east service road of the sector on Tuesday against the occupation of college hostel and 16 rooms by land grabbers and Pakistan Baitul Maal (PBM).

While pressing their demands, the protesters raised slogans against the land mafia which unjustly occupied college buildings. The building of Islamabad Model College for Boys Sector H-9 containing 16 spacious rooms at the main service road was illegally given to land grabbers under political pressure.

This was done in 2012 for a period of five years under the directions of the then Federal Directorate of Education Director General Atif Kiyani. Later on, in 2013, the spacious building of college hostel was also handed over to PBM under political influence which was converted into sweet home for orphans depriving the college students of a sufficient hostel facility.



The protesting teachers said the so-called agreement, which was expected to last five years expired in January 2017 but the mafia did not vacate the building. Now the four year BS programme is expected to be conducted in the building of 16 rooms during the coming academic session but the mafia is refusing to vacate the building.

They said occupation of both the buildings of the college were openly violating the clear verdict of the Supreme Court which states that property of an educational institution cannot be used for any purpose other than educational activities. Moreover, it’s the violation of CDA bylaws that no commercial activity can take place on the main road.

The protestors carried banners and placards demanding the removal of the mafia from the college buildings. They were chanting slogans and asking the Chief Justice Saqib Nisar and Prime minister to take action and get the buildings vacated from mafia.



To highlight the gravity of their concerns they blocked the traffic in front of H-9 College, HEC office and Excise offices on the Road. They demanding strict action be taken against the mafia, furthermore, they accused the politicians of being morally corrupt and supporting the land mafia.

Principal of the college Professor Farhad Khan Khalil, said, “In this college students from all over the country get admission but they are deprived of appropriate accommodation because the college hostel is in the possession of Pakistan Sweet Homes. Our students are reliant on the mercy of private hostels which are not agreeable with education. Drug abusers also reside in private hostels so our young students are vulnerable to drugs. Moreover we will commence classes for the BS programmes in college soon so we need more classrooms.”

The principal further added that the occupant of the front building of the college sublets the building to many other parties and earns millions of rupees from different businessmen. The people in the building had been operating various commercial activities which are posing a security threat to our students, he added.

Professor Tahir Mahmood said that our students should be given their due rights of education. Both of the buildings should immediately be vacated and handed over to the college administration.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2018.