ISLAMABAD  -   The city administration in recent anti-encroachment drive vacated its own vast land from the illegal occupants, but did not bother to recover the land of Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) from the encroachers, The Nation learned on Wednesday.   

The QAU has remained at loggerheads with Capital Development Authority (CDA) and land grabbers inside the university to get the possession of its purchased land.  An official informed The Nation that despite the formation of a number of committees and various meetings held at the top level to resolve the matter of disputed and encroached land, the issue remains unresolved. 

The official said that the university administration is helpless before the Capital Development Authority and land grabbers to claim the land for which it had already paid for. The documents said that the total land acquired by the CDA was 1709 acres, 4kanals and 12 marlas. But the actual land inside the CDA plan as per survey of Pakistan report was 1557 acres and 1 kanal.  The difference between the acquired land and layout plan of CDA led to the shortfall of 152acres, 3 kanals and 12 marlas for the university.

Along with the shortfall in the layout plan, the settlers and encroachers grabbed 298 acres land of the university. The document said that the university is overall facing a shortfall of 450 acres, 3 kanals and 12 marla land.  The documents also said that out of 1557 acres of the land inside the Capital Development Authority plan, the university has only 1259 acres and 1 kanal in its hand. According to the documents, nine illegal settlements are established on the land of the university, while administration including CDA and law enforcement departments has failed in vacating land from them.

“The university does not have to pay a single penny of the university land anymore but it does not have force to vacate its own purchased land,” said the official.  Nine villages settled on the university land include Dhoke Ghangi, Kot Hatial, Jhang Bagial, Dhok Bajran, Sihalian, Mohra Shah Wali, Parri, Jabbi, Afghani.

The official said that the university administration in year 2017-18 wrote eight letters to CDA to take action against the land grabbers but all cries fell on deaf ears. The official said that the Survey of Pakistan (SOP) report submitted in 2017 also indicated that the land inside the boundary of the university is 1557.2 acres against the allocated 1709 acres. While out of 1557.2 acres 298 acres is in the custody of illegal occupants and encroachers.  

An area of 1709 Acres, 4 Kanals and 12 Marlas, was acquired by CDA in 1967-72 for QAU.

CDA also paid compensation of the said land to the landowners but the original occupants of the land were not vacated by the Capital Development Authority. An official said that in 1988, the Capital Development Authority tried to curtail the university land to 1445.10 acres; however the university did not accept the reduction in the allotted land and conveyed it to Capital Development Authority in 1988.

Capital Development Authority later agreed with the original allotment of 1709 acres 4 kanal and 12 marlas and demanded an additional mount of Rs. 1,080,774 and the university paid the balance amount in 1991.“The university paid full amount of 1709 acres 4 kanal and 12 marlas to CDA,” said the official.

The official also added that the CDA had issued the map of land in 1967 which had 1709 acres while no such map having 1445.10 acres land was issued by the CDA.  Official said that due to non-demarcation land given to the university it inherited illegal occupants with it.  The document stated that in 2006 Jarar Hussian Bukhari son of former chairman senate Nayar Hussain Bukhari started construction of a house in the area of Kot Hatiyal on the land allotted to QAU after a dispute with the university.  The university again requested the CDA to clear the status of its land and the Director Regional Planning CDA submitted the layout plan indicating the area allotted to QAU which indicated that the whole land of Deh. Kot Hathial on western side of Nullah (Chang Kas-coming from Shahdara) near Bhahra-Kahu grid station belongs to the university and the said Nullah is a natural boundary of QAU on Bharakahu side.

But on 05/06/2006, the revenue staff of ICT and CDA declared an area of 7 Acres, 4 Kanals and 9 marlas as private property, inside the said layout plan.

The university didn’t accept the layout plan and declared it as a disputed demarcation.

The official informed The Nation that illegal occupants have become a threat to the security and development projects in the university and resists any new construction on the university land.  The construction of Buildings of Academic Block-I and Students Hostel No.11, under the PSDP Projects remain suspended for years due to intervention of the illegal occupants. The construction of Student Hostel No.12 was also stopped by these illegal occupants in December 2016.

 The official said that fresh encroachment was being initiated in November 2016 in Kot-Hathial area and approach roads, Farm House, Buildings and Plotting of the land was carried out by the illegal encroachers on the university land.  Talking to The Nation spokesperson Capital Development Authority Syed Safdar Shah said that CDA has given the land’s possession to the university in 1970 and now no issue of the possession is left on part of the Capital Development Authority.  He said that university administration has asked the chief commissioner to vacate its land from the encroachers. He said that a joint action will be taken including all departments to vacate the university land.

Vice Chancellor (VC) QAU Prof. Dr. Muhmmad Ali talking to The Nation said that the issue of land encroachment is in the notice of university administration.

He said university is actively pursuing the matter has advertised about it in the newspapers. 

He said that university administration has fixed boards on its land and conveyed the encroachers to vacate it otherwise it will establish its writ with the help of the government. He also added that the city administration has also given a nod to the university for vacating its encroached land. 

Quaid-i-Azam University Alumni Association, have also showed serious reservations during their recent interaction with Vice Chancellor QAU Islamabad, Prof. Dr Muhammad Ali Shah and lodged a complaint at Prime Minister’s complaint cell.