No more rallies at Iqbal Park

CM Hamza rejects proposal to impose entrance fee

LAHORE:

Greater Iqbal Park, a gigantic ground that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has used a number of times since 2012 to demonstrate its public support in the hometown of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), was declared off limits for rallies by Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz on Saturday.

While giving approval in principle to impose a ban on holding rallies in the Greater Iqbal Park, Chief Minister Hamza stated that the use of the historic venue for holding rallies was inappropriate from any aspect.

The decision comes months after the PML-N and its allies in the 11-party Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) themselves attempted jointly to put up a decent show of their popularity at the same venue late last year.

Chief Minister Hamza was informed during the meeting that plants and grass had been destroyed during a recent PTI rally in the park.

He was informed that the park had suffered damage estimated at Rs5 million due to the rally organised by the party.

The chief minister also turned down a proposal presented during a meeting presided over by him to impose an entry fee for visitors at the Greater Iqbal Park.

He said it was a park for the poor and an entry fee would not be imposed under any circumstances.

Hamza Shehbaz also expressed his anger over lack of timely buying of seeds of plants under the previous government and ordered an inquiry in this regard. He issued directives to expedite the planting of trees, plants and grass at the empty spaces in the park.

He stressed that the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) Board should be constituted at the earliest.

The chief minister directed the officials concerned to immediately call back to duty the gardeners working at homes of people. He said if there was any gardener working in his house then he should also be called back, adding that a zero-tolerance policy should be adopted in this regard.

He ordered the functionalisation of the Butterfly House in the Jallo Botanical Park.

Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz said vacant pieces of land should be identified in South Punjab and a plan to plant trees and grass there should also be formulated.

He vowed that the PHA functions would be run transparently and he would not entertain any request for special treatment or lenience.

He called for the formation of a WhatsApp group to help monitor the progress on decisions made in the meeting.

The provincial housing secretary, commissioner of Lahore division, Colonel (retd) Mubashir Javed, Imran Goraya, PHA director general, Khwaja Ahmad Hassan and Iftikhar Ahmad attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz sought a report from the inspector general of police about a reported incident of the murder of two sisters.

According to an official announcement, the CM directed the police to arrest the murderers at the earliest and bring them into the grip of the law.

He said early provision of justice to the bereaved family must be ensured

The chief minister also took notice of an incident of misbehaviour with a woman in Haroonabad and sought a report from the IG in this regard.

Ordering legal action against the perpetrator, he remarked that such a misbehaviour could not be tolerated in any civilised society. He said indecent behaviour with women was intolerable.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29^th, 2022.