Civic agency had removed plaque with ‘Unity, Faith, Discipline’ slogan for road extension Staff Reporter In its legendary display of indifference towards maintenance or keeping minimum standards of cleanliness and beautification of Islamabad, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has achieved yet another landmark by failing to install the Founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s monument outside the Gate-1 of the F-9 Park.
The park administration had removed the 3-metre high gold-plated structure owing to the carpeting/extension of the Jinnah Avenue.
It was feared at that time that the monument would not be re-installed and those tasked with the removal and reinstallation would not care to put it back.
The fears have proven true as several months after the completion of the road no work has been carried out till this day to re-install the monument that is inscribed with the ‘Unity, Faith and Discipline,’ Quaid-e-Azam’s famous quote.
The structure was rusting in a store of the F-9 Park when it was shifted to the Nazriya Pakistan Council (NPC) upon the request of the council. However, it was found out that the monument’s pedestal was already broken and the supportive sheet which kept it steady was also missing. It was a fascinating piece of art and had become identical with the F-9 Park, said a spokesperson of the NPC.
The manufacturer of the monument had used a certain type of paint and colours and Quaid’s picture and the three iconic words illuminated during the nighttime when cars threw light on it.
The structure is now lying in the NPC waiting for the F-9 Park administration to lend manpower, funds as well as technical expertise to reinstall it.
A senior official of the F-9 Park Administration while talking to Pakistan Observer admitted some damage has been caused to the monument and it required funds to reinstall it in its original shape.
He said it was not CDA’s or park’s property and it is not clear who in fact installed it outside gate-1. We are trying to locate the party/donor who had installed it and once it is found out we shall request them to send their team and do the needful as at present we don’t have the funds to reinstall it, he said.
