CDA accuses Quaid-i-Azam University of ‘exploiting’ Bhara Kahu project

Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) counsel accused the Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) – which has moved the court against the construction of the Bhara Kahu bypass on the university’s land – of trying to seek “undue advantage” in return for giving a nod to the project.
CDA’s counsel Hafiz Arafat Ahmed was arguing before Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb on a petition by the faculty of the university against the project which splits the QAU campus into two parts.
The counsel said the project was started after getting all necessary approval and added that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was done while the matter was pending before the IHC.
He said the project was initially devised by the National Highway Authority (NHA) and it also got the EIA from the Pakistan-Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA). However, the federal government was unable to allocate funds, therefore, the bypass project was shelved.
He said the CDA made another attempt about a year ago but the Pak-EPA did not clear the project. According to him, the Pak-EPA approved the EIA recently.
The CDA lawyer denied the claims of environmental degradation and chopping of trees as claimed by the petitioner and informed the court that he has “footage of the site before the commencement of the project and the most recent one”. Advocate Arafat argued that the faculty members were trying to exploit the situation to get benefits to which the university was not entitled.