Punjab

PHA pre-qualifies firms for Greater Iqbal Park project

With four monuments to national heroes and a museum, the PHA aims to educate visitors about the nation’s history

Imran Adnan August 09, 2015

The Greater Iqbal Park project will feature expansion of the park to Circular Road between the park and Lahore Fort complex. PHOTO: PHA

LAHORE:

The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) has pre-qualified construction firms for the Greater Iqbal Park project, The Express Trribune has learnt.

PHA Director General Mian Shakeel Ahmad told the Tribune that the firms would be asked to submit their bids once preparation of tender documents was completed. He said the National Engineering Services of Pakistan (NESPAK) had been tasked with preparation of the documents.

The PHA director general said that the project would not just provide an avenue for recreation. He said it would also educate visitors about the country and its history. The project would feature four monuments dedicated to the memory of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Allama Iqbal, Fatima Jinnah and Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. He said there would also be a museum at the park to educate visitors about Pakistan Movement as well as the history and cultural heritage of the city.

Read: KDA shuts down Sindbad amusement park in Karachi

Besides renovation of the Minar-i-Pakistan grounds (Pakistan Resolution Monument), the project would feature expansion of Iqbal Park by including in it the stretch of Circular Road between the park and Lahore Fort. The Greater Iqbal Park will have an area of 130 acres.

The PHA director general said that they would make sure that provision was made in the design of the park for spacious walkways. The park would also have two food courts which would be designed to represent the culture and heritage of all four provinces and Gilgit-Baltistan. Other attractions include a network of fountains.

The PHA director general said a state-of-the-art irrigation system would be installed in the park for ensure their proper functioning.

For enhanced security at the site, he said an around the clock surveillance apparatus would be put in place at the site. The project plan has provision for three parking lots.

The PHA director general said the area around Iqbal Park was densely populated and included both residential and commercial property. He said the Greater Iqbal Park project there help provide much needed green space in the area.

Read: Pakistan’s makeshift amusement parks offer hope in troubled times

About the design of various gardens in the park, the PHA director general said these would be designed on the pattern of gardens commissioned by Mughal emperors. These would feature fountains, elevated pavements, and baradaris.

The budget approved for the project is Rs1.18 billion. The Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) had approved the project in 2013-14 fiscal year and estimated its cost of the construction at Rs403.68 million.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10^th, 2015.

COMMENTS (2)

Wasim Farooq | 8 years ago | Reply Please look for the playing activities too, Minto Park was the biggest playing ground for common people for years and it has produced many cricketers for Pakistan. Most of the children from Walled City gathers in numbers to enjoy games like cricket, football, handball, baseball and wrestling. But who cars for common people, come on lets remember Legends, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Allama Iqbal, Fatima Jinnah and Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. Please think for future you cannot remember them by naming parks and buildings to them, you should educate and told people about their works in books and include the in our so called education system. And let the common men to enjoy the games in Minto Park

Chachoo | 8 years ago | Reply It is such a shame that four personalities have been selected for monuments but all others have been neglected. Infact there are hundreds of them. The real struggle of Independence in this region started when Bhagat Singh and people like Lala Lajpat Rai took the center stage against Englishmen. But since they belong from Punjab and they have a different Religion so they are removed from History books. If one would really study objectively then Fatima Jinnah have no role in Independence movement. Her role started when Jinnah made her the head of Pakistan Women Association after the creation of Pakistan. Similarly Liaquat Ali Khan role is less than Muhammad Zafar Ullah Khan , as Muhammad Zafar Ullah was the president of Muslim League during Round table conferences of 1930, 31 and 32. But since the later have to be removed because of his religious reasons so his name is removed from history books. The first dictator General Ayub khan was infact selected by Liaquat Ali Khan and he destroyed all the rules of merit while promoting his close friend.

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