ISLAMABAD - The anti-encroachment drive launched at Quaid-i-Azam University has apparently lost its power after the illegal occupants allegedly backed by political elements showed resistance and refused to vacate the occupied land, The Nation learnt on Saturday.
Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration and Capital Development Authority (CDA) responding to the university administration’s request had launched operation there on January 5. The administration had claimed to vacate the encroached land and hand it over to the university in five days. Official sources at the university informed The Nation that the administration remained unsuccessful in vacating the varsity land in given time frame. “The operation faded after the villagers resisted and the administration had no resources to handle them,” said a senior official involved in the operation from the university’s administration.
The official said that unpreparedness of the enforcement department created uncertainty about targets of the operation and the university administration is unsure how much land it will get back. He said that in the mid of the operation, the illegal settlers of the villages inside the university territory were again served with the notices of vacating the land in 3 days.
“Its third time they are being given notices,” said the official. The official also said that illegal settlers had planned to physically oppose the operation and they stoned the authorities when they moved to vacate the land. “The administration block was stoned by the illegal occupants and the administration retreated from the action,” said the official.
The official said that the university administration was now struggling to firm its possession on vacated land, while the city administration looked less interested in completing the task initiated with tall claims.
“The university is paying rent for the heavy machinery, but still it is unclear that whether it will hold the possession of the land or not,” said the official.
He also said that weak action against strong elements inside the university had strengthened the rest of illegal settlers and they were resisting the operation.
The official said that the university administration was keen in vacating its land as the illegal settlements were becoming a den of illegal activities where houses were being given on rent and unlawful activities were being carried out there. “12,000 students are enrolled in QAU including 50 percent girls and the administration wants to avoid any unfortunate incident,” said the official.
The university administration claims that it is facing shortfall of around 298 acres of the land possession it was given by the CDA.
It also claimed that 9 villages including Dhoke Ghangi, Kot Hatial, Jhang Bagial, Dhok Bajran, Sihalian, Mohra Shah Wali, Parri, Jabbi and Afghani were illegal settlements on the university land. The university administration is also at loggerheads with former chairman Senate Nayyar Bukhari on the land possession as he claims to be private owner of the land inside the university.
The ICT administration on first day of the operation launched at QAU also demolished structures built outside the house of former chairman Senate. Sources informed The Nation that local political leadership from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had also put its weight in favour of the illegal settlers which resulted in slowing down pace of the anti-encroachment drive.
Sources said that QAU officials also held a meeting with the top city administration which was presided over by Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi and attended by PM’s special assistant on CDA Ali Nawaz Awan and local PTI MNAs. It was decided in the meeting that a 3-party committee comprising of QAU, CDA and ICT will present a report regarding how much actual land lied with the QAU along with data of encroached land.
The university officials feared that local leadership was favouring encroachers and mulling to request the PM to intervene in the matter.
A former professor at the QAU criticising the government on social media said that PTI government had double standards as on the one side, it took credit for initiating anti-encroachment drive for evacuation of the QAU occupied land, but on the other side, PTI MNA Nafeesa Khattak moved a motion in National Assembly against the QAU administration for taking action against the illegal occupants.
Earlier this week, as the city administration demolished the structures in the land possessed by former chairman Senate, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Rehman Malik had taken notice to restrain the CDA and local authorities to stop the action.
The notice stated that the matter would be taken in the standing committee of interior.
Talking to The Nation, QAU VC Dr Muhammad Ali Shah said that the university had retrieved a vast area of its land and the administration was trying to hold its possession on the recovered land. “We are facing resistance by the encroachers, but we have not violated the law,” he said.
He also said that exact measurement of the land could not be given at this stage; however, the QAU administration is trying to stop further encroachment and hold its possession on the land given.
He said that the QAU administration wanted the government to ensure its presence in the university as the university administration itself could not retrieve its land.
He said that the illegal settlers had been given 3-day notices and the university had requested the city administration to retrieve the land from them.