QAU VC accused of giving varsity’s land to CDA

Faculty alleges vice-chancellor concealed land swap deal from teachers, administration

ISLAMABAD:

The faculty members of the Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) have accused Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Ali Shah of handing over the university’s land to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for construction of Bhara Kahu bypass project.

They alleged that being a board member and after attending the CDA meeting, the vice-chancellor hid from the faculty about the university land being included in the Bhara Kahu bypass project. They said that the QAU syndicate headed by Vice-Chancellor Dr Mohammad Ali also allowed the civic agency to carry out with the work on the project. They said that meetings of the so-called joint working group (JWG) of the CDA and the QAU to sort out the issue will be a futile exercise.

The faculty said that after the QAU syndicate meeting, the fate of the university land has been sealed and it has been deprived of the prime land by the civic agency which has just announced to allocate 225-kanal without specifying the location.

Earlier, the CDA announced the allocation of alternate land to the university to sort out the issue arising out of the Bhara Kahu bypass project.

The faculty members said that until the university administration and the working group take a decision, the bypass project would have been completed or maybe its final stage of completion.

They alleged that the QAU vice-chancellor plays a negative role during all this process and hid everything from the university faculty and the academic staff association regarding the development work on the university land. They said that transpired later that the CDA had handed over the university land to the contractor, who cut down trees, levelled the land and started work on the project. They said that the clear-cut stance of the vice-chancellor on the matter has not yet come to the fore and it should be understood that the game was over and the working group will also recommend the provision of alternative land to the university.

Earlier, the QAU syndicate conditionally approved the land swap deal with the CDA and the QAU Vice-Chancellor Dr Mohammad Ali proposed to the JWG to finalise recommendations for resolving all pending issues between the university and the civic agency.

On Sunday, the joint working group (JWG) held its meeting. The meeting was called off after one of its members did not show up, sources said.

The JWP headed by Education Ministry’s Additional Secretary Wasim Ajmal Chaudhry have been tasked to discuss the provision of alternative land to university land, CDA rules, decisions of the Islamabad High Court, environmental impact assessment ongoing development work, soundproof infrastructure and other issues.

Other members are CDA Member State Afnan Alam, Member Planning Waseem Hayat Bajwa, Deputy DG Land Umar Randhawa, Senior Dean and Member Syndicate Dr Muhammad Idris, Member Syndicate Dr Tasavar Hayat, Member Syndicate Sohail Yousaf and Deputy Secretary HEC and Ministry of Education Razia Ramzan Dosa.

Earlier, the QAU administration staff, the faculty and students held a protest demonstration against the CDA for including the university's land in the Bhara Kahu bypass project without seeking prior permission from the university.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2022.