Sparkling clean: Capital at its best to welcome Jinping

City goes through makeover ahead of visit; PM inspects arrangements .

ISLAMABAD:

The capital has always been hospitable to foreign dignitaries though lately preparations went into overdrive owing to Chinese President Xi Jinping — who arrives on a two-day visit today (Monday).

As Islamabad braces to welcome its ‘all-weather’ friend, authorities have completed their massive beautification drive to impress the visiting dignitaries.



With the onset of spring, major arteries of the city have been cleaned up with fresh paint on central medians and trimming of trees and shrubs. Similarly, well-designed seasonal flower beds have flooded even the small intersections and link road medians, making ‘Islamabad, the beautiful’ even more pleasing.

Commuters are happy as they are experiencing a ‘new city’, as the potholed roads have been fixed almost overnight while the ugly looking concrete security blocks and police pickets have also been removed.

The all season fly-posted advertisement boards have been removed from the crossroads and road signs. Out-of-order road lights have either been replaced or repaired, while eye-catching lighting arrangements have been put in place.

The development has obviously been welcomed by residents.

“I wish the Chinese president visits us every three months. It will ensure up to the mark cleanliness round the year,” said Ali Imran, a resident of Sector F-7.

Over the past two-weeks, the city witnessed brigades of workers of different authorities including the CDA, Iesco, city administration and traffic police working to bring together all the arrangements.

The ‘fix-up frenzy’ has been most extreme on roads through which the Chinese president is supposed to travel and thus exceptional attention has been paid to Constitution Avenue, Islamabad Expressway, Murree Road and Kashmir Highway.

PM’s personal touch

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has taken keen interest to ensure the city is at its best when the Chinese president arrives.

The PM Office and Cabinet Division held countless meetings with high-ups of different organisations and departments over the past two-weeks to get progress reports on preparations and even had a say in the floral arrangements.



“The PM recently visited the route through which the Chinese president’s motorcade will pass,” said a senior officer of the PM’s Secretariat who accompanied the premier during the visit.

“I was not this busy during my son’s wedding,” commented a senior officer of the CDA adding that the department has been on its toes to ensure perfection.

“Such extensive beautification and cleanliness drive was never undertaken in the recent past during visits of other foreign dignitaries,” he added.

Since coming into power, the PML-N-led government has hosted six visits of heads of states of five different countries. Of those, four visited Pakistan in 2013 and only two in 2014.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2015.