Daily Times

KARACHI: The Director Parks of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation has inked a five-year adoption agreement with a private firm for converting a 3-acre central island adjacent to Shaheed-e-Millat Flyover into a model park, without approval of the City Council of Karachi while surpassing the domain of the Charged Parking Department of civic entity; officials of the Charged Parking Department revealed.

Afaq Miraza, Director Parks before his suspension from service in May 2017 by Local Government Department Sindh on matters of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Park had singed an illegal agreement on April 5, 2017 with Chase Departmental Stores for adoption and beautification of the site besides giving rights of a nearby parking area, officials disclosed.

The officials were of the view that such move could not be described legal as City Council Karachi, remained an authority to give approval for such projects.

Even rights for parking area stand illegal as such steps could not be taken without comments by an Adoption Committee KMC on all adoptions matters. Furthermore if a case is seemed fit for consideration for adoption, recommendations of Committee are passed on to City Mayor for further review and afterwards Mayor has to send such proposals to City Council meeting for final decision, they maintained.

“There is no any signatory on the part of successor’s firm on agreement papers nor any approval indications are there from authority”, they remarked.

For comments on the issue from Afaq Ahmed, he remained perverted on signature matter of the firm and also refused to give any reply on his charged parking move.

Mukhtar Hussain, senior Director Charged Parking in a reply to a query revealed that there was no record available in this effect as he is responsible for parking matters.

“Revelation for giving parking rights came to me through my department staff and we are going to inform the Mayor about this development soon”, he asserted.

The department has started investigation into the matter and would take departmental action under the prescribed laws of the entity, he added.

In the accord, developing of island would be completed in 5 years from date of agreement in accordance with plan and design approved by KMC, under the accord, all expenditure to be incurred by the adopter on development and maintenance of location shall be deemed to have been incurred as a charity for welfare of the citizen.

Land shall be and continue to property of KMC and a stone plate of maximum (5*3) with engraved writing depicting KMC monogram, name and location of adopted location name of adopter, date of adoption date and expiry, amount spent etc are also written in the agreement.

No commercial activity-shop, soft drink, snack etc shall be permitted in adopted location nor it be used for residential purpose.

Electric, water and other utility charges etc shall be paid by adopter during adoption period regularly, accord describes.

Provisions of Sindh Local Government Act 2013, rules and regulation besides defined SLGA-2013 rules shall also apply to adopted location and site shall remain Public Park and property, according to the agreement.

Published in Daily Times, August 4^th 2017.