Murad Ali Shah vows to restore Karachi’s parks

Local bodies, civil societies, NGOs have to work together, says CM

KARACHI: Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah presided over an informal law and order meeting at the Central Police Office (CPO) on September 21 and appreciated the Ashura security arrangements.

The meeting was attended by Adviser to the CM on Law and Information Barrister Murtaza Wahab, IG Kaleem Imam, additional IGs, Aftab Pathan, Dr Waliullah Dal and Karachi Commissioner Sualeh Farooqi.



The CM took an aerial view of the city on Ashura day and witnessed the plight of some of the parks which were in a shambles. They include Jheel Park, Hill Park, parks in Nazimabad, North Nazimabad and other areas. He vowed to rehabilitate these parks through concerned local bodies and involve local communities to restore and look after them. "Karachi needs more parks and massive tree plantation and we all, local bodies, civil societies and NGOS have to work together," he said.

Shah also noticed that various nullahs were still not cleaned and filled with filth and garbage. He decided to take up the matter with the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and district municipal corporations (DMCs) to make them clean from head to tail.

The CM also took an aerial view of the BRT Green Line project infrastructure. It is at the completion stage except a portion from Numaish towards MA Jinnah Road.

Pre-CCI meeting

The CM also presided over a pre-Council of Common Interest meeting at CM House on Saturday to review the agenda and his government decisions for the CCI meeting to be held under the prime minister on September 24 in Islamabad.

The meeting was attended by Energy Minister Imtiaz Shaikh, Barrister Wahab, Principal Secretary to the CM Sohail Rajput, Secretary Law Raheem Soomro and other officers.

The CM reiterated his stance that Karachi needs 1,200 cusecs additional water for K-IV project and vowed to convince the CCI meeting to approve the provincial government's request.

Ashura security

CM Shah appreciated the performance of police, Rangers and intelligence agencies and said that well-coordinated efforts of law enforcement agencies (LEAS) made Ashura processions peaceful.

The CM said that his efforts to make police more professional and public-friendly would be continued by launching different training programmes. "The capacity building of Karachi police was in progress and now time has come to change the police uniform," he said and added "I am of the opinion that T-shirt may also be allowed to policemen so that they can perform their duties in sweltering weather comfortably."

The IG said that he would provide different samples of proposed uniforms to the CM for his approval. Shah said that he had visited three divisions; Karachi, Sukkur and Larkana to take the aerial view of the Muharram processions and see security arrangements. "There was proper deployment of police and rangers at majalis and mourning processions," he said and added that the district administration also worked hard to provide all facilities on the routes of the processions and at majalis locations. "I am also thankful to all the ulema and religious scholars for their support and cooperation to make the Aushra events peaceful," he said.



On the day of Ashura, CM Shah clad in black shalwar kameez visited Saddar to witness security arrangements made for the processions. He walked from Empress Market to MA Jinnah Road and received the mourning procession there and led it up to the Empress Market. He met the organizers of the processions there. Later he flew to Sukkur to review security arrangements made in the district.

CM Shah, along with Provincial Minister for Works and Services Syed Nasir Shah and Barrister Wahab took the aerial view of the processions at Shikarpur and its taluka headquarter Khanpur, Jacobabad city, Rohri of Sukkur, Khairpur city and its taluka headquarter Kotdiji.

In the evening CM Shah returned to Karachi and took another aerial view of the procession which was reaching its termination point.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 23^rd, 2018.