Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited Bagh-e-Jinnah here on Sunday and reviewed overall conditions at the park. Bagh-e-Jinnah would have facilities and environment of international standards, he said and sought a plan from the departments concerned in this regard.
The CM inspected the surroundings of Baba Turt Murad Shahs Mazar, located in Bagh-e-Jinnah and witnessed various sections of the park. Mohsin Naqvi expressed his displeasure over seeing filth, untidiness and ordered abolition of unnecessary offices in Bagh-e-Jinnah. He directed the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) director general (DG) to submit an upgradation plan about Bagh-e-Jinnah at the earliest. The CM ordered for upgrading Bagh-e-Jinnah on the pattern of the Gardens of London. Provincial ministers Amir Mir, Azfar Ali Nasir, Bilal Afzal, secretaries of Wildlife, C&W, DG Wildlife, DG PHA and officials concerned were also present.
Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi also pledged to make both Lahore and Safari zoos child-friendly facilities. Both zoos are being renovated and will have new animals including elephants. Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that the zoos were being renovated as their condition had become very bad, adding the Lahore zoo had become very smelly. It is good news for children that 100 new species of animals are being housed at Lahore Zoo, the CM said, adding that four elephants were coming to Safari Zoo. “It will be a surprise for the kids that there will be new animals in the zoo,” he said. He said that he had written a letter to the Chinese government for getting pandas for Lahore Zoo. He said he was was in touch with the Chinese Consul General for it. “There will be big food courts in the zoo. We will preferably focus on animal welfare which would be according to international standards by not keeping animals in cages. We also decided to renovate the famous Jinnah Garden,” he said, adding that though the zoo was closed, but children would be very happy when it opened. To a query regarding elephants survival, the CM said that there was a ban on keeping elephants in cages, and obviously, NGOs and international forums of animals would object if elephants were kept in such a condition. “Thats why we have decided to keep elephants in Safari zoo,” he said. The chief minister said that elephants would be housed according to international standards in Safari zoo and some of them would also be kept in Lahore zoo for children. A friendly zoo is being under renovation that will be completed in January.
