Parched city: Iqbal calls for urgent repairs to water lines in capital

Announces 3-day spring festival; metro bus from Faizabad to Rawat to be built in next fiscal

ISLAMABAD: As the temperature swelters and water levels in the dams hover near dead, Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has called for urgent repairs to the supply lines.

He said this while announcing a three-day spring festival in the city next week.

Addressing the water scarcity in the city, Iqbal said that old and rusty pipelines were leading to wastage of a third of the capital’s meagre water supply.

He called for urgent repairs to the existing water pipelines in the federal capital, adding that the government had made a special allocation of Rs300 million to address water-related issues in the city.

He said that the festival, to be held from April 6 to April 8 at the Sector F-9 Park, aims to promote the diversity of Pakistani culture and display it before the world in a positive light.

Iqbal further disclosed that work on a metro bus service from Faizabad to Rawat will start in the next fiscal year and will be completed within 18 months.

Talking the media he stated that the festival would have food stalls and boast a host of activities including cycling competitions, concerts, a vintage car exhibition among other cultural activities.

Iqbal said the event will conclude with a tree plantation campaign where students from different colleges and schools will plant saplings in the Margalla Hills.

The interior said that a shopping festival will also be one of the attractions of the festival, where cuisine from various different regions of Pakistan will be served at subsidised rates. He said all the provinces and regions will be represented in the event which will feature activities for people of all ages.

He added that the upcoming event was one of the first steps towards, what he termed was, ‘Rising Pakistan’.

The minister further expressed his intention to turn the festival into an annual event headlining the tourism calendar of the capital.

He added that Islamabad has been blessed with natural beauty, but its beauty was frequently forgotten due to the precarious security situation. He recalled the days when people were too afraid of staying in the country for long periods of time due to security concerns.

However, the revised security policy, which has been in effect for the past five years, had helped counter the security threats and restored peace, with the exception of a few isolated foreign-sponsored incidents.

Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Captain (retd) Muhammad Mushtaq, while giving a briefing on the event, said that beautification works in the capital will start from April 1 with a focus on decorating the main Islamabad Expressway, the Kashmir highway and all other major avenues.

He said bands from all the three services and police will play at the formal inauguration ceremony of the festival, while a fireworks display will herald the end of the day’s activities.

Iqbal added that they had signed up legendary singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan to play at the concerts along with Sara Raza Khan. Furthermore, renowned Sufi singer Abida Parveen will perform live for their special Sufi night.

A mixed Pakistan-China cultural performance will also be arranged on the occasion.

A cycling competition will also take place on day two where students from schools and colleges will participate. He further added that florists and home gardeners will have an opportunity to showcase their skills at a flower show and a flower arrangement competition.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2018.