SU, LUMHS at odds over properties
Hyderabad, May 29: Sindh University (SU) project director Ahmed Ali Abbasi and director estate Mohammad Usman Mangi have accused Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) of occupying five acres land of the SU and constructing a building of sports complex there.
In a statement issued here on Tuesday, they said the SU authorities managed to get the construction work stopped through its security guards. But LUMHS students welfare officer Khadim Lakhair, project director Javed Memon and Hyderabad provincial buildings executive engineer Zahid Hussain Qureshi had threatened SU officials on phone of dire consequences, they alleged.
They apprehended bloodshed in the area after according to them LUMHS had sought help of armed men. The Jamshoro police had been informed about the issue, but they did not take any action and even did not lodge an FIR.
They have urged the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take notice of the matter.
Mr Abbasi said LUMHS and Sindh government building officials and contractor Tabrez Khan in connivance with each other had occupied five acres of the university land in Deh Moro Jabal Chak Number-1 in taluka Kotri. They said the rivals had brought construction material to begin illegal construction overnight.
He said the SU sent security guards and officials to stop the work, but Khadim Lakhar threatened and misbehaved with them.
Later, when more force was sent and LUMHS officials and contractor left the work.
He alleged that LUMHS senior officials had issued threats on phone to SU officials, mentioning that they would build sports complex on the said piece of land.
He said the provincial building department had issued work order to Tabrez Khan in May 2011, but the contractor could not start work despite several attempts because the SU resisted it and now LUMHS was once again trying to build the complex.
Police had become a party in matter as the SHO concerned had clearly refused to offer any help, saying that only anti encroachment police could intervene in the matter, he said
He has appealed to the president, caretaker prime minister and Sindh chief minister and the governor to take notice of it to avoid any untoward incident. However, LUMHS media spokesman Dr Saroop Bhatia strongly defended the project, saying that it was being funded by the Sindh government.
He said then Sindh sports minister late Dr Mohammad Ali Shah had got it approved. Construction had been started some time back and not on Tuesday.
He said actually the land belonged to the SU in the past, but it was given for establishment of Liaquat Medical College which had been upgraded then as first public sector university.
He said the land in question was part of LUMHS’s premises and adjacent to it where the university held pre-entry tests every year.
He conceded that some altercation took place on Tuesday between two universities officials as the SU official off and on appeared with a claim over the land.
He said a tender had been given for the project by the provincial government and LUMHS’s project director was in constant liaison with the government.
He said Dr Mohammad Ali Shah had also visited the land, but SU did not raise any objection when the sports complex was in the phase of planning.Dawn.
