KARACHI, April 2: The land mafia is eyeing a precious piece of land lying vacant in front of an educational institution on Manghopir Road, according to local residents, who urged the government agencies concerned to take early steps to save the land.

A press release issued here on Sunday by the Sindh Shahri Foundation said that the land mafia was out to occupy the 10 acre-land.

The land-grabbers have already encroached upon the land around the college where they have constructed 300 shops. “And now they are set to grab the vacant college land,” the NGO claimed.

The institution, named Hamid Bidayuni Government College, is housed in the historic building of Jamia Taleemat-i-Islami, near Banaras Chowk, on Manghopir Road and its foundation was laid by the late president, Mohammad Ayub Khan, on Sept 3, 1962.

According to the SSF, a 15-acre land was allotted to the institution for establishing a modern Islamic learning centre on the pattern of Egypt’s Jamia Al Azhar.

The college was constructed in the first phase but afterwards, the project was practically abandoned. “In 1997, an attempt was made by the mafia to tamper with the land record and grab the institution’s land,” claimed Tahir Swati, a spokesman for the NGO.

However, he added, the move was frustrated by religious leaders who strongly protested against the mafia.

Mr Swati urged the authorities concerned to take urgent and effective steps to protect the land and rein-in the mafia which wanted to use the land for commercial purposes.