SHC suspends govt notification of handover of Ibn-e-Qasim Park to Bahria Town

KARACHI: A Sindh High Court bench on Monday suspended a notification of Sindh government to hand over Karachi’s Ibn-e-Qasim Park to Bahria Town, ARY News reported.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar challenging the government notification.

The petition followed a notification issued by the Sindh local government ministry which said that after approval of competent authority the decision has been taken to hand over the park to Bahria Town.

City Mayor Waseem Akhtar had filed a petition in Sindh High Court (SHC) seeking revocation orders from the court on Sindh government’s decision of handing over ‘Ibn-e-Qasim’ park to real estate tycoon and chairman of Bahria Town Malik Riaz Hussain today.

The petition stipulated that the provincial government has no authority on the park as it’s an asset of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and the corporation, at time of decision making, has not been taken into confidence by terming provincial government’s decision as ‘unilateral’.

The Mayor talking to media said that, KMC respects chairman Bahria Town, however, the park is a public property and setting specific timings for them is inappropriate.

Over the timings specified for the public, the city mayor said that the care-taker of the park has been appointed by Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) while querying the motive of specifying time for the park as he further said there are other parks in the city as well without any specific timing for the public.

Holding Sindh government responsible for deteriorating condition of the park, Akhtar said that the provincial government has issued a notification of taking over the charge of park from KMC. He said the issue would be clarified if a court bench constituted to hear the case.

He further said that to renovate parks in the city funds are needed and the KMC does not have enough funds to rebuild the recreational areas.

He also lambasted the provincial government for mismanagement in provincial institutions by declaring it bad governance and said that PPP has appointed two IGs in the province.

MALIK RIAZ REFUSED TO TAKE OVER BAGH IBN-E-QASIM

Earlier, chairman Bahria Town had refused to take over the park by stating his company would not takeover the park until all stake holders not agreed over the matter.

Here is the tweet of chairman Bahria Town following objections raised by City Mayor on handing over the public park to Bahria Town.

We will NOT take over this park till all stakeholders including Mayor Karachi agree to hand it over to us, rest assured. #Karachi #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/4O4rUeDjFx

— Malik Riaz Hussain (@MalikRiaz_) March 31, 2017