Another aimless development: From polo, hockey, football, cricket, to a musical fountain

Jinnah Bagh or Polo Ground is being turned into a family park.

KARACHI:

Many years from now when Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad would have retired, history will remember him as perhaps the longest serving head of province that was able to remain in the good books of everyone - even his political opponents. But at least in one impoverished part of Karachi, he is destined to become a subject of hatred in many homes.

Ebad’s legacy will be that of the government official who laid the foundation stone and later inaugurated Jinnah Bagh and deprived hundreds of kids from nearby localities of the only place where they could play.

The Jinnah Bagh, commonly known Polo Ground, is being rebuilt at a cost of Rs150 million, which has been allocated from the governor’s special fund. A musical fountain is being constructed for entertainment of visitors. Walkways, benches, jogging tracks and lush green lawns with flower beds will also be added by the time it opens up in early 2013.

“We cannot allow it to be used as a playground after reconstruction,” said Niaz Soomro, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s (KMC) Director General Parks and Horticulture. “Otherwise it will undermine the entire purpose of this exercise. We want to make it a family park.”

Located between Dr Ziauddin Ahmed and Aiwan-e-Saddar roads, Polo Ground has served as a playing area for children and young men from Sultanabad, Hijrat Colony, Railway Colony, other parts of Saddar for decades. People from as far as Lyari come here to practice football.

Soomro confessed he was not aware of any other playground but insisted that arrangements will be made for outdoor sports.

Anyone who has passed by the historic ground would know the number of people it attracted on any evening. On one side, young men could be seen playing cricket on makeshift pitches and on the other footballers wearing professional kits hit the ball between goal posts made of shoes.

The ground has already been closed for public lawns have been dug up and mounds of earth stand where men played mostly in evenings. In the mornings and evening, people will go there to jog.

For the residents who have grown up playing there, it’s all about memories. Kamran Khan says all his close friendships were sealed during cricket matches. “We became a gang of 40 boys. For so many years this ground has been everything to us besides work.”

On a recent morning, these men converged at another ground located along I.I Chundrigar Road. It is the property of Pakistan Railways.

“We can come here very early in the morning for a little while. Things were different at Polo Ground. Anyone could play there. Whoever arrived first used to get the spot,” said Zahid Sheikh. “There are no playgrounds in the vicinity.”

Rumours have already started to spread among young men who feel cheated. “I have heard that Rs900 million will be spent on its remake and a big contract has been awarded,” said another boy. The DJ Sports Complex situated besides the Rangers headquarters is out of bound for locals as well. Cricket matches are played there but between selected teams. Other than this there is no ground in the entire vicinity.

At the Polo Ground, boys would set up wickets on the walkways or any flat surface. Dozens of matches were played involving hundreds of players. “Sometimes it was difficult to distinguish your own fielder,” remarked Muhammad Imran, another regular at the ground.

In the 1960s, men mounted on horses played polo, remembers Muhammad Iqbal, former Naib Nazim of Saddar’s UC-9, which includes the Polo Ground and nearby localities.

“Then hockey and football grounds were constructed there. But over the years the model changed and it was made into a park,” he said. “KMC should reserve some part for cricket and other sports. Why do we need such a big park?”

Sultanabad and Hijrat Colony don’t have their own grounds mainly because these residential colonies are encroachments over government land, he said. “But this does not mean that opinion of the locals doesn’t matter but no one here really cares about what we think.” Bara Dari, another historical place, adjacent to Polo Ground has also been closed for the public since an underground car parking was constructed there.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4^th, 2012.