Sindh CM visits Karachi zoo after 42 years

Zoo upgrade to be undertaken as part of Karachi package

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali paid a visit to Karachi zoo on Wednesday, after nearly 42 years.

Recalling his childhood, the chief minister said that he, his sisters and brother used to visit the zoo with his father. Those memories have flashed back today, he reminisced.

Due to the numerous complaints about the Karachi Zoological Gardens, Shah took it upon himself to make a personal visit and take stock of the situation. He was accompanied by local government minister Jam Khan Shoro and was received by mayor Wasim Akhtar and senior officers of the provincial government and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).



"This is a very good place for children to educate themselves by interacting with animals and birds," he said. He added that there were complaints received against the zoo, which include lack of facilities for visitors, encroachments around the garden and poor living conditions for animals. "I am going around to personally see the overall conditions at the zoo and its cages," he said, vowing to make the zoo one of the best places to visit.

He admitted that the conditions were not so good but said he has included the zoo's upgradation in the scheme launched under the Karachi package. He added that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA Samar Ali Khan, who is an architect, and some other people are working with the government to make the Karachi Zoo a beautiful place for children to visit and enjoy.

Shah said that he was against the tradition of keeping animals in cages. "I have a plan under which the animals and birds will be kept in a free atmosphere," he said. Giving an example of elephants, he said they mostly live in grasslands but can also be found in the desert, savannah, and forest areas where there are swamps. "The idea is to create an atmosphere in the zoo where the animals can be kept freely," he explained.

The CM said that the zoo is spread over 40 acres of land and can be turned into the most beautiful zoological gardens in the country, for which his government in consultation with the KMC and leading architects is planning to revamp it.



Additional chief secretary of development Mohammad Waseem informed the chief minister that a Rs299.82 million scheme is being launched to upgrade and reconstruct the zoo. The CM said the plan presented by MPA Khan for the reconstruction of the zoo is one of the best architectural plans and will be worked on.

The CM was given a tour of the zoo and went from cage to cage and even visited the canteen. He petted a python, fed an elephant and took photographs of a jumping monkey with his mobile phone. He ordered the project director of the Karachi package to give him a detailed upgradation, reconstruction and beautification plan for the zoo.

Due to the CM's visit, three vans of students were not allowed to enter the zoo. Due to 'security reasons', the children were not allowed to visit the zoo for their field trips.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2017.