LAHORE: The Punjab University administration on Friday got vacated prime land worth Rs6 billion at its Old Campus from illegal occupants.

According to a PU spokesman, a 2.5 kanal piece of PU land near Anarkali Bazaar had been under the illegal occupation of 13 families for over 50 years.

He said that PU VC Dr Muhammad Ali Shah initiated the land vacation process after taking notice of the illegal occu-pation.

He said that the illegal occupants were living on the land worth Rs6 billion without paying rent, besides using water and gas for free.

According to the spokesman, on the orders of the VC, a piece of prime 24 kanal land of the PU New Campus, which was under illegal occupation for the last 70 years, has also been reclaimed recently.

Earlier, the VC said that it is very important to predict natural disasters and climate change for the survival of life on Earth.

He was addressing a seminarorganised by the Punjab University Institute of Space Science, in collaboration with SUPARCO, on Pakistan`s first astronaut`s planned visit to the Chinese space station in 2026 at the auditorium of the Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology here on Friday.

He said that it is a matter of pride that Pakistan`s first astronaut will go into space next year with the help of China.

On this occasion, Institute of Space Science Director Prof Dr Syed Amir Mahmood, deputy managers of SUPARCO Dr Syed Amir Gilani, Dr Sobia, School of Biochemistry and BiotechnologyDirector Dr Muhammad Khurshid, Department of Physics Chairperson Prof Dr Munza Zulfiqar Ali, Academic Staff Association President Dr Amjad Abbas Magsi, Member Syndicate Prof Dr Muhammad Nasir, Dr Amir Masood Chishti, Dr Jahanzeb Qureshi, Kashif Nazir, Dr Athar Javed, and a large number of students were present.

In his address, the PU VC stressed the need to promote interdisciplinary research to address socialissues.

He regretted that the river Ravi had been turned into a sewage canal, while industrialsewage in Faisalabad was being discharged into the river Chenab.

`We are not born to just make money, but to gain knowledge, and we should educate children according to their talent,` he added.

He said that Pakistanis are one of the most intelligent nations but they lagged behind due to a lack of the right direction and thinking.

He hoped that one day Pakistan would also launch its space shuttle from its own soil.

Dr Syed Amir Mahmood, Dr Syed Amir Gilani and Dr Sobia also spoke.