Daily Times

KARACHI: Sindbad Amusement Park, which is the city’s second largest park, has been operating without any legal authority ever since its 30-year operational license expired in 2013.

The park, which is located in Nipa Chowrangi, Gulshan-e-Iqbal area of the metropolis was meant to be a semi commercial subject for a duration of 30 years since Karachi Development Authority (KDA), under an accord in 1983, allowed an operator company namely Al-Rehman Housing Private Limited to run commercial activity. The Park project was partially completed in 1983.

Officials said that KDA also allotted two-acre additional land to Sindbad Amusement Park in 2017. They said that the park administration began claiming fee unilaterally in 1989. Originally KDA allotted around 5 acres of land for building an amusement park to Al-Rehman Housing Private Limited, according to details. This plot was granted on license and rental basis vide letter KDA/LDA/GUL/81/161, February 8, 1981 with conditions that after every five years renewal of conditions would be revised, according to officials.

The project was meant for semi commercial subject for a period of 30 years with condition of a fully developed amusement park with installation of all proposed recreational items given in layout plan in 3 year from date of physical possession, said officials. All practices during past 37 years of possession were carried out illegally by both entities without any check and balance and in sheer violation of written rules in accord, they claimed.

Back in 2017, KDA sealed the park for failing to pay rent charges at rate of 50 paisas per month on per square yard from date of start of granted license. According to officials, other payments including the yearly advance and ground rent had also not been paid to KDA. Sources said that millions of rupees were outstanding against the Park administration.

However, after some weeks, KDA allowed the park administration to resume commercial activity. The then director general of KDA, Nasir Abbas allotted land to Park organisers and allowed the park management to reopen the park, said park officials. Officials further pointed out that no entry fee or parking dues were mentioned in the accord but the park administration proceeded to charge both fees in violation of the original park accord.

The site plan was provided vide a letter issued in June 22, 1983 and possession was handed over on October 2, 1983 with proposed LOP approved. Several extension of time for completion was granted through letters dated May 29, 1987 to September 1989. Later on another extension was granted through a letter issued on November 22, 1992. The extension from January 1, 1993 to December 31, 1997 was approved with the condition of depositing five years of rent in advance. Moreover, the construction period was also extended to June 1933.

The Park was finally completed and made functional on August 29, 1996 and Park administration wrote to KDA on November 10, 1996 to request the issuance of a 30-year license. Current KDA DG Sami Siddiqui said that an interim extension agreement between KDA and the park was inked by former DG, Nasir Abbas as 30-year accord was expired in 2011.

It is worth mentioning that the then KDA and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) administrator and former Karachi commissioner Shoaib Siddiqui also sealed the park in 2015 because of the outstanding amount it owed and proposed that the project be subjected to another public auction. However, his efforts did not yield any results and the park management resumed its business activities.

No documentation of the said interim accord is available with the KDA. However, KDA DG Siddiqui said that professional opinion was being sought from legal experts in this regard. “We will take action against the Park management after the legal process is completed,” he said.

Some of the amusement facilities Park is housing are Tagada, Venture, Honey Pot, speed X, max flight, OL western, Dumbo, 4D Cinema, Break Dance, Tornado, Little Pirates, Jungle Train, Bump’n’ go, Turtle Train, Hells Angels, Sindbad, Space Station, Fun Go Round, Drop Tower, Pirate Ship, log slide, Disco Star, Crazy Bus and Dragon Coaster.

Published in Daily Times, December 30^th 2018.