Retrieving QAU land: ‘No personal enmity with anyone’

State interior minister says action taken after varsity wrote to the prime minister

ISLAMABAD: A day after the civic agency and the district administration retrieved around 180 kanals of Quaid-i-Azam University’s (QAU) land from the alleged illegal occupation, the junior interior minister dismissed any hint of partisanship, noting that the law was equal for everyone and the government was merely implementing it.

On Sunday, State Minister for Interior Shaheryar Afridi visited the Quaid-i-Azam University’s (QAU) and inspected the encroached land which had been recovered.

Speaking to the media, he vowed that the government will retrieve the varsity’s land from illegal occupation at any cost and will not allow anyone to take the law into their own hands. He further said that the government will ensure accountability as per the law.



Emphasising the importance of academic institutions, he said that a university is a place where nations get education and train to excel in their lives.

He lamented that over 200 acres government land, which was supposed to have been utilised for academic purposes, had been encroached for many years.

With the main contention over the land said to be with a senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and with the party’s leaders already under scrutiny in the fake bank accounts case, Afridi assured that he has no personal grudge against anyone.

Rather, he explained, the action had been taken after the varsity wrote to the prime minister complaining about its land being forcibly occupied. A day earlier, the civic agency had in a statement stated that the varsity administration had written to them and the chief commissioner for retrieving their land.

He said that they will continue efforts to implement the rule of law and the retrieve every inch of land legally owned by the QAU.

“No influential person can prevent the government from establishing its writ,” he said, as he further lamented that some political leaders were favouring land grabbers.

“The land of the state will be retrieved, not only in Islamabad but across Pakistan.”

Meanwhile, QAU Alumni Association Secretary General Murtaza Noor said that the drive against the illegal occupation of QAU land will help restore the dignity of the university.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration had on Saturday launched a joint operation against encroachment on QAU land.



On the first day of the operation, 100 kanals open land was retrieved and handed over to the university administration following an “indiscriminate” operation.

Moreover, three main houses, nine small houses, 15 structures including walls, quarters, library, cattle rooms and guest rooms were also demolished, recovering around 80 kanals of built-up area.

The CDA said that the operation was carried out on the basis of joint demarcation report for the varsity prepared by the Survey of Pakistan.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2019.