LAHORE: Punjab University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zafar Moeen Nasar on Tuesday assured faculty members that the varsity will not give the land of its Old Campus sports ground to the provincial government.

He gave this assurance at a meeting of representatives of different groups of teachers on Tuesday. Academic Staff Association President Javed Sami, Secretary Iftikhar Ahmed Tarrar, Academic Forum President Prof Dr Saleem Mazhar, Prof Dr Fakhrul Haq Noori, Prof Dr Rafaqat Ali Akbar, Prof Dr Sajid Rashid, Dr Mahboob Hussain and Dr Muhammad Farooq Shahid participated in the meeting.

The government is said to be forcing the university administration to let it acquire two kanals of the varsity’s Old Campus sports ground near Chauburji to compensate a religious party. The Punjab government had acquired the seminary land at Chauburji to accommodate the route of the Orange Line Train project, and was now forcing the university to give up its land as compensation.

Staff member says Hassaan told to give Planetarium land to religious party

All groups of the university’s faculty members who are set to participate in the upcoming election of the syndicate had expressed concern over giving more land to the government to compensate a religious party.

One of the participants said they met with Khwaja Ahmad Hassaan and pointed out another piece of government land that could be given to the religious party for constructing a seminary. He said the sports ground had historical significance as Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had addressed Muslims before the creation of Pakistan. And it would also impact the extracurricular activities of students, he said.

The vice chancellor also assured the teachers that they would not give the land to the government and would instead suggest they give away the PIA Planetarium land to the religious party.

Dr Nasar also expressed the desire that teachers play a role in promoting a positive environment at the university while participating in the syndicate’s upcoming elections.

The meeting also condemned anonymous letters against the vice chancellor. All the groups of teachers agreed that mudslinging must be avoided and everybody should take care of each other’s self-respect. The meeting also agreed that such elements must be exposed and action taken against them.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2018