ISLAMABAD:The Joint Action Committee (JAC) Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad on Friday demanded of the government to reverse the decision of constructing Bharakahu Bypass on the university’s land.
The demand was made during a press briefing held here to highlight the issue of Bharakahu bypass.
The President of the Academic staff association, Officer welfare association, Employee welfare association and QAU alumni association briefed the media.
QAU had started onsite teach-in, to protest the construction of the Bharakahu Bypass project, which entered its 13th day.
The faculty, staff, students and alumni of Quaid-i-Azam University have started the “Onsite Teach-In” at the construction site.
The students attended the classes at the protest site to register their protest and minimize academic loss.
A symbolic peace walk was also organized by the Joint Action Committee, comprising representatives of academics, officers, employees, and QAU alumni associations who showed severe reservations about the bisection of the university land.
The participants highlighted that the QAU community was not against any public welfare project; however, the university land should not be used.
The bypass should be realigned as per the original plan. They said that the project would split the university’s land into two non-communicating parts, and that was not acceptable.
The Joint Action Committee Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) Islamabad released a fact sheet on important issues about QAU land and the ongoing Bhara Kahu Bypass Project.
According to the fact sheet, Bhara Kahu Bypass project had far-reaching implications for the university, which violates the sanctity of the only National University of the country, bisecting the campus into two noncontagious barricaded parts, and separating the entire front of the university on Murree-road from rest of the main campus thus diminishing any chance of having a dedicated road access (from Murree-road) for the university.
It is detrimental to the natural environment of the university area, including the extremely valuable Botanical Garden of the university, violating the master plan of the university, including sites reserved for National Research Centers, and consuming about 600 Kanals of precious university land rendering significant additional land unusable, while leaving about 2000 Kanals of most precious (front) university land at the mercy of land encroachers, the sheet added.
“Last but not the least, it destroys the peaceful academic and research environment by sowing the seeds of discord and unrest amongst students, faculty, alumni and employees of the university.”
All the stakeholders hoped that their genuine concerns would be adequately addressed and legitimate interests of Pakistan’s only national and top-ranked prestigious higher education institution, established in the name of the Founder of Pakistan, would be safeguarded.
The JAC demanded that the government should address the concerns of the varsity, and consider an alternative route for the construction of the bypass which may not divide the university land.
Otherwise, we will peacefully protest by using all possible options, they vowed.