Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi has said that the government would get academic land vacated from illegal occupation at any cost while no one would be allowed to take law in one's hand. The minister expressed these views while talking to media persons about the ongoing operation against the encroachment upon Quaid-e-Azam University's (QAU) land. He said that the government would ensure accountability of all according to the law.
The minister emphasised on the importance of academic institutions in educating the nations and said that a university is a place where nations get education and training and excel in their lives. He said that he has no personal grudge against anyone and will continue his efforts to implement the rule of law.
The minister said that they would not compromise on ongoing anti-encroachment drive across the country and added that every inch land of the state would be retrieved from the land grabbers.
He said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government does not believe in political victimisation and added that he has no personnel enmity with anyone. The minister slammed the previous governments over their alleged negligence towards encroachments and said that no one had taken notice of the encroachment on the land of Quaid-i-Azam University since 1986.
He said the government has retrieved 80 kanals out of 240 kanals grabbed land of Quaid-e-Azam University and efforts are underway to acquire the remaining land. Appreciating the efforts of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) teams and district administration in carrying out operations against the illegal occupation of QAU land, the minister said that all departments are playing an active role against encroachments.
Meanwhile, QAU Alumni Association Secretary General Murtaza Noor said that the drive against QAU land's illegal occupation would help restore the dignity of all universities. He said that QAU is imparting education to over 12,000 students belonging to all over the country, including Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). "This university is like a mini-Pakistan," he added. He said that getting the university's land vacated was a longstanding demand and the removal of encroachments would boost academic activities as well as the morale of the students.