LAHORE: The Academic Staff Association (ASA) of the Punjab University has decided to launch a protest drive against the construction of an office for Orange Line Train project at the varsity`s Town 1.

ASA Secretary Dr Mahboob Husain said at the association meeting the government had publicly promised not to use Town 11and for the train project but now survey teams of Nespak and other departments were visiting various houses for construction of offices for the project.

He said although the route of the train was on the other side, the bureaucracy, especially Nespak officials,made the project controversial.

The participants said Khwaja Ahmed Hassan had publicly promised in the presence of the media and more than 200 faculty members that the land ofTown 1 would not be used for the project.

They said the teachers had strong reservations over it and the general body had decided to launch a protest drive against the project and called another meeting on October 22.

Earlier, ASA President Dr Hasan Mobeen Alam with senior teachers called on Mr Hasan at his office and conveyed to him their reservations on the project.

Also, Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran condemned burglary in the house of former head of PU Department of English Language and Literature in which dacoits also tortured him.

Dr Kamran said there were few people in Pakistan who have earned their PhD degrees in English language and literature and Dr Nasim Riaz Butt was an asset for the country. He called upon the authorities to arrest the culprits.