Administrator, Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Thursday said that after resolving law and order issue, work on infrastructure development has started.”We want to eliminate the negative image of the city. Parks and other recreational areas have been neglected in the past. Unfortunately, countless parks are not available to the public,” the Administrator expressed these views while addressing a program on better use of public space organized by CLICK at Safari Park here.
Also present on the occasion were Metropolitan Commissioner Syed Afzal Zaidi, Former Administrator Korangi Sajida Qazi, Director Imkaan Welfare Tahira Hassan, Development Specialist Aafia Salam, Director General Parks Junaidullah Khan, Senior Director Recreation Mansoor Qazi and other officials.
Large number of students from Karachi University, Karachi Medical and Dental College and other universities and colleges participated in the program. The Administrator Karachi said that safari parks and zoos are the assets of the city and people should use them. “Numerous public places in Karachi were built for the citizens but due to the deterioration, these open spaces disappeared from the public eye,” he added.
He said that the present administration is well aware of its responsibilities and keeping in view the needs of the citizens, more open spaces are being provided to them so that people can come here with their families and have a pleasant time.
Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that 100 parks are being renovated in Central District out of which 14 parks were opened and local people have been given the responsibility to take care of them. Kidney Hill Park is the best place in the world for which the entire team of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation deserves tribute for its development.He said that they had also started the Urban Forest project on the shores of Clifton and created a natural environment where birds from other places have started coming.
“We should protect and care for the trees that are being planted in the same way that we take care of our families so that we can deal with environmental issues,” he said.The Administrator said that we have to keep our city clean from garbage and filth, Answering questions of the participants, he said that public-private partnership means to work together. “If we all work together, there will be improvement in every field,” he added. Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that asked people of Karachi to decide for themselves what kind of facilities they need in public recreational places and the authorities should inform the above. In response to a question, he said that the government had decided that local government affairs should be run by local bodies and health and education to remain with the provincial government. He said that Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Karachi Medical and Dental College were not in good condition that’s why Sindh government decided to take care of them. “We want these medical institutions to be as high quality as NICVD and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre,” the Administrator said and added that the process of making Karachi Medical and Dental College a university is underway.
He said that after getting the status of a university, the problems of availability of grants and funds for this institution will be solved automatically.He asked the citizens to inform the areas where the parks are in bad condition or there are any problems so that immediate steps can be taken to improve them.
Metropolitan Commissioner Syed Afzal Zaidi said that in the past it was difficult to focus on parks and recreational areas due to security issues but now the situation is better and the work of developing and rehabilitating public places is in full swing. He hoped that the citizens of Karachi would fulfill their responsibilities for the betterment of these public places and said that together we would be able to make our city better and better.
