Taking notice of the alleged occupation of Faisal Mosque by International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat on Tuesday asked the IIUI authorities to vacate the premises.

In a meeting of the Senate committee, chaired by Senator Talha Mehmood, Deputy Director of Faisal Mosque Mohammad Tahir said that IIUI administration had forcefully occupied the grand mosque's premises even though they were allotted the land for a limited period.

Tahir further said that IIUI has refused to vacate the mosque's premises even though the university administration was allocated 700 acre land by Capital Development Authority, (CDA) where a campus has already been built.

The mosque's deputy director alleged that the IIUI administration was receiving funds from the Saudi Arabia's government in the name of Faisal Mosque.

The university administration has established its offices in what was the mosque's cafeteria and opened a store in the space reserved for aitekaf, Tahir said. "IIUI has also illegally opened a hostel in the premises as well."

He further complained that IIUI has even taken over the mosque's bookshop.

The members of the Senate committee expressed their displeasure and inquired from the CDA officials present at the session that why the university was not made to vacate the mosque's premises after they had been allotted land of their own.

The committee instructed CDA officials to ensure that the IIUI administration evacuates Faisal Mosque's premises as soon as possible. The committee has also summoned HEC Chairman Mukhtar Ahmed to appear in committee's next session.

However, no one from the university administration was present at the meeting.