Zubair Qureshi
Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Amir Ahmed Ali has approved design for the new portrait of the Founder of Pakistan Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah along the Islamabad Expressway.
The iron structure carrying portrait of the Founder of Pakistan Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and his famous quotes: Unity, Faith, Discipline written in metallic letters both in English and Urdu had collapsed in August this year due to stormy winds.
The project is designed by the renowned designer and former Director General of the Pakistan National Council of the Arts Jamal Shah and it will cost Rs50 million. The work will be completed in a period of three months.
The new structure will be 50 feet high and 59 feet wide and it includes a number of new features. While chairing a meeting to review the project CDA Chairman said the structure should be made in a way that it could not be damaged by the winds or rains.
The older structure had become synonymous with the federal capital and the citizens of Islamabad hope the new design would also attract those who will be visiting Islamabad for the first time.
It was also decided to raise a strong wall around the new structure so that it could not be damaged.
Earlier, in August as the news and pictures of the collapsed portrait of the Quaid’s spread on media and social media, the then Deputy Mayor Zeshan Naqvi of the defunct MCI had visited the site along with directorate of engineering and a team of the senior officers to assess the damage done to the structure and to monitor the efforts for early re-installation of the portrait and the quotation.
However, later the MCI Mayor tendered resignation and the work came to a halt. The portrait of the Quaid installed on a hillock along Islamabad Expressway near Koral and all those travelling on the road always felt inspired to see their dear leader, founder of the country on a lofty hill.
At that time it was assessed by the MCI engineers team that a new foundation platform needed to be constructed.
