Petrol pump construction on KU land nears completion

Administration says matter now pending before Sindh High Court

KARACHI:

Despite ongoing legal efforts by the University of Karachi (KU) administration to protect thousands of square yards of land adjacent to Kaneez Fatima Society, the construction of a new petrol pump on the disputed land near the Metroville Gate has entered its final stages.

Although the University of Karachi maintains that the land belongs to the institution, construction and renovation work at the petrol pump site is progressing at a rapid pace, raising the possibility that the facility may be inaugurated within the next few days.

It may be recalled that earlier the university had claimed to have engaged a professional law firm to safeguard its land. In September, the Karachi University Teachers' Society (KUTS) also issued a statement asserting the university's ownership of the land near Kaneez Fatima Gate, claiming that a court decision had been overturned and that the university had successfully reclaimed its land. The teachers' body had lauded Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi and his team for their efforts in this regard.

However, when The Express Tribune contacted KU Estate Officer Noreen Shariq to inquire how construction had resumed despite a stay order, she explained that the legal situation had evolved.

"We obtained a stay order from the sessions court, but the case was later transferred to a tribunal where the stay order was vacated. The matter is now pending before the Sindh High Court," she said, adding that the university has also requested the Survey of Pakistan to formally demarcate the land. "The issue is currently with the university's senior management," she added. KU officials further stated that the university has written letters to several institutions, including Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and the concerned Deputy Commissioner, informing them of the university's claim over the land.