islamabad - President Mamnoon Hussain has directed the relevant departments to retrieve Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) land encroached by the land mafia.

The President, who is also Chancellor of the University, issued these directives on the request of the university authorities.

According to informed sources, the President was annoyed when learnt that hundreds of acres of precious land of Quiad-e-Azam University has been encroached by land mafia.

Sources said that President has issued directives to the Law Division and Ministry of Higher Education to arrange demarcation of university land without further delay.      

Meanwhile, Quaid-e-Azam University Alumni Association has decided to form a delegation of its senior members to meet members of the federal cabinet, parliamentarians and senior government officials over increasing incidents of encroachment at the university’s land.

The delegation will convey its concern and apprise about the gravity of the situation. According to QAU Alumni Association General Secretary Muhammad Murtaza Noor all the old students of QAU have unanimous views that any encroachment at their alma mater would not be acceptable.

“We would utilise every possible option in this regard and would take up this important issue at all the relevant forums,” he added.

He further said that it was quite misfortunate that when Pakistan`s leading federal higher education institution was celebrating its 50th anniversary, it is being subjected to such treatment and has been left at the mercy of land mafia to grab its land.

The old QAU students are really concerned about the fact that various encroachers have encroached upon over 200 acres of the university’s land, worth billions of rupees, he said.

The varsity currently has 1,507 acres land and out of it 1,709 acres allotted to it by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Authority has also failed to demarcate the land in spite of repeated requests by the QAU administration. Due to negligence on the part of CDA, influential land mafia has occupied more QAU land. He also assured support and cooperation to QAU administration in this regard. He requested the president, federal interior minister and CDA chairman and Islamabad mayor to take notice of the situation.