What price progress?: Model Town residents up in arms against threat to parks

Society vice president denies allegations, then goes back on his statement.

LAHORE:

Model Town Cooperative Society members and Model Town residents want the society’s executive committee to withdraw plans for ‘development’ in two of the society’s largest parks and one green area.

Residents fear that the society plans to make an amusement park in Model Town’s Central Park, four restaurants in Nawaz Shairf Park (previously Linear Park) and a high rise shopping mall in J-Block’s green area that used to house nurseries.

On February 10, a rally of residents took to the streets. They walked between Ferozepur Road and the Model Town roundabout, chanting slogans against the alleged propositions. HRCP director IA Rehman, architect Nayyar Ali Dada and Lahore Bachao Tehrik convener Imrana Tiwana were also present.

Qadeer Khan said that according to Punjab Environment Protection Act 2012 a community land could not be used for any other purpose unless it was being requisitioned for constructing a road.

Park Bachao Tehrik (PBT) was formed in January 2013 in alliance with Lahore Bachao Tehrik. Letters condemning the projects were sent by PBT member Major Tanvir Ahmad to the director general of the Environment Protection Agency, the chief minister’s complaint cell, the secretary of the Planning and Development Department, the Lahore High Court’s Green Bench and the registrar of Cooperatives Development (the registrar’s approval is required for all project proposals initiated by all housing societies across Lahore).

Ahmad said, “The government or the courts do not care until a lot of noise is made by civilians. We have to protest until these projects are shelved permanently.”



Ahmad said he had sent three letters to the cooperatives’ registrar, the last one with 183 members’ signatures. He added that so far there had been no response.

Ahmad said the agenda was distributed among Model Town residents regarding the Annual General Meeting to be held in November. He said the meeting held on December 2 and the agenda passed and sent to the Cooperatives Department by the executive committee.

A copy of the agenda obtained by The Express Tribune includes a proposal for 44 kanals amusement park, four restaurants be set up in Nawaz Sharif Park and a 55-kanals shopping plaza in J-Block’s green area.

The land would be leased for 10 to 15 years once the cooperatives.

Ahmad said, “No proper effort was made for a consensus of the residents. The executive committee members forced the decision to send the proposal regarding commercialising of the Model Town Parks.”

Ahmad said he had met with the registrar on December 16. He said that he demanded a second meeting on the proposals.

“The registrar asked why I or other members had not opposed the proposals at the annual meeting. I told him most people who attended the meeting were not even Model Town residents.”

“Setting up a fast food chain in parks at the cost of trees is completely unacceptable. A joyland, similar to the Fortress Stadium, in Central Park will encourage the homeless, drug addicts and beggars to populate the area. Why should we let the executive committee destroy Model Town,” Ahmad asked.

Ahmad said that he had suggested a ballot vote by all members but the decision was taken with a show of hands.

Ahmad said he had circulated a pamphlet among residents with his contact information and within days he had been contacted by hundreds of residents who were unhappy with the agenda.

Former Pakistan National Council of the Arts chairman and J-Block resident Naeem Tahir said he would have been happy to support a plan for building a children’s park in Nawaz Sharif Park. He said right now it would be best to return the proposal till consensus is sought from the members. “I would not like anything to be altered in the Central Park.”

Model Town Society vice president Dawood Barry, also a member of the executive committee, rejected the allegations regarding commercialisation in green areas. He also dismissed the protest on Sunday, calling it pointless.

He said for the first time in the Society’s history the Annual General Meeting had been attended by nearly 500 members who had unanimously approved a plan “for improving children’s play area at the Central Park.”

He denied there were plans for any other construction activity.

When Barry was contacted again and told that The Express Tribune had seen the agenda he denied having ever denied the proposals.

In the first conversation he had said, “There was no discussion on building a high-rise shopping mall on the 55 kanals in the green area of J-Block  or establishing an amusement park similar to Joyland in Fortress Stadium in the Central Park or giving land for lease for setting up four restaurants in Nawaz Sharif Park.”

“The protesters have no proof. We plan to do nothing except replacing some children’s rides. Had there been plans, we would have prepared a feasibility report, advertised tenders in the newspapers.”

The second time around Barry said, “These are just ideas. There is no guarantee they will be approved. I never denied that the proposals had been sent to the cooperatives registrar.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2013.