Family entertainment: Pindi welcomes new food street

Mouth-watering food, live musical performances to attract families

RAWALPINDI: The residents of Rawalpindi welcomed the opening of the first-ever food street in the garrison city on Saturday. In an otherwise crowded and congested city, with little to boost in terms of recreational activities and places to visit for families, the addition of a food street in the Saddar area has come as a breath of fresh air.  

The food street has been set up by the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) at a cost of Rs22.5 million. Rawalpindi Corps Commander Lt-Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, who inaugurated the food street, appreciated the RCB’s efforts in initiating the project. He said that the venue would provide residents of the cantonment an opportunity to enjoy good food while shopping in Saddar.

Bajwa said that the initiative would also boost business activity in area.

To establish a visitor-friendly environment, the RCB has decided to ban parking in the area between Kashmir Road and Bank Road. A separate parking space has been developed to facilitate visitors.

Visitors will also be entertained by live musical performances.

Rawalpindi Cantonment Board CEO Faheem Zafar Khan appreciated the cooperation of local traders with the board in removing billboards as part of the beautification drive in the Saddar area. He said that the RCB had also focused on building a greenbelt in the market.

He said that the old tonga stand near Kamran Market was removed and a flower market set up in its place. The market, Khan said, would soon become functional. Similarly, he said that Rumi Park had also been revamped with new swings, a walking track and a food court.

A five-member management committee will look after the affairs of the food street.

Khan said that the RCB had deployed sanitary workers to ensure that cleanliness and hygiene standards are met in the food street.

He said that a parking lot with a capacity of 200 cars had been established near Mobi Plaza for visitors to the market.

Khan said they were striving to make RCB the best cantonment in the country. He said that a project to lay underground electrical and telephone cables at Bank Road, Haider Road and Adamjee Road had also been completed. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2015.