ISLAMABAD: Two leading universities in the capital are at odds with the Capital Development Authority (CDA) over the construction of boundary walls on their campuses.

Despite efforts, Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) and International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) could not construct proper walls around their campuses.

“We have beefed up security but our university is open from the main gate side as the CDA is not allowing us to construct a boundary wall here,” said Dr Hafiz Abid Masood, a spokesman for the IIUI.

He said the university had taken up the issue with the CDA several times but to no avail. “Following the attack on Bacha Khan University, we have further improved our security but the open side poses a security threat to the university.”

CDA insists perimeter walls cannot be built within 1,000ft of Kashmir Highway

He said the CDA was of the view that the boundary wall cannot be allowed along Kashmir Highway. “The CDA has been directing us to construct the boundary wall 1,000 feet away from the highway which is impossible because it will leave out swathes of university land. We have fenced the front side but there is a need for a boundary wall,” he said.

The faculty members of the IIUI said in relaxation of rules the CDA had allotted plots to a number of influential people on throwaway prices but when it came to the university the civic agency was saying that its by-laws did not allow the construction of a boundary wall along the road. The IIUI witnessed twin suicide blasts in 2009.

On the other hand, the QAU is unable to construct the boundary wall due to encroachments on its land. In the ‘60s, the CDA allotted 1,700 acres to the university but a large portion of the land has been encroached by the land mafia.

The university has been requesting the CDA for the last several years to demarcate the land so that it can construct the boundary walls. “A large portion of the university land is encroached upon by the land mafia. We have been requesting the CDA to demarcate the land but it is not paying any heed to our demand,” said Professor Dr Asif Ali of the QAU.

Dr Ali, who is also president of the Academic Staff Association, added that at the time of the allotment the CDA did not hand over all the 1,700 acres to the university. “Besides the land grabbers, our land is also in the possession of local people whose land was acquired by CDA many decades ago. It is the responsibility of the CDA to demarcate the 1,700 acres and resolve its issue with the locals.”

When contacted, CDA spokesman Ramzan Sajid said the authority had stopped IIUI from constructing a boundary wall on the right side of Kashmir Highway. He said the right side cannot be used for any construction purpose.

About the QAU, he said at the time of the allotment the CDA had handed over the possession of all the allotted land to the QAU. Therefore, it was the responsibility of the university to build the boundary wall to avoid encroachments etc. “Despite all these, we are still ready to facilitate the QAU,” he said.

Schools still lack security

Even over a year after the terrorist attack on Army Public School (APS) Peshawar, the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) could not ensure complete security measures in the educational institutes of the capital city.

Many of the 422 educational institutions in the city still have broken boundary walls.

Security guards hired by some colleges and schools were also relieved due to the shortage of funds. Sources said at least 54 institutions were in dire need of either improvement or full boundary walls while the boundary walls of a majority of the institutions did not meet the criterion set by the Islamabad police, under which the boundary walls were to be raised to eight feet with two feet of razor wire atop. Last year, the FDE selected 24 schools with a funding of Rs180 million for raising the boundary walls while 22 more schools were currently being upgraded under the prime minister’s reforms initiatives.

Director General FDE Moinuddin Ahmad Wani said under the prime minister’s reforms initiatives boundary walls of all the 422 educational institutions would be raised to eight foot. “Under this initiative, the boundary walls of almost 22 schools have been raised in phases. We will improve and raise the boundary walls of all the 422 educational institutions,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2016