On May 19, 2017, the Infocus published a post on these
pages pointing out at the holding of a commercial festival in Khulfa e Rashdeen Park at 13-D, Gulshan
e Iqbal and stated that it was a violation of law by DMC East. While strong apprehensions
were also raised in the post that “if this (violation) would (not) become a
future trend”. That festival badly ruined the park infrastructure, greenery and
serenity at the end of the day so badly that DMC East hasn’t yet recovered that
all till this date.
However, above apprehensions seems to be turning into
realities. Again, civic rules are being violated and an event of festivity “Karachi
Eat Food Festival” is being arranged from January 12 to 14, 2017 in the city’
one of the most prestigious public place the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Park, located in
Clifton, DMC South. Previous two editions of the event had also been arranged
at Frere Hall alongside Bagh e Jinnah, which attracted massive crowd for fun
and food activities, leading the festival to become an annual event. There is
no doubt the festival is a popular and successful addition on the metropolitan
recreational landscape but holding it in a public park have consequences too.
That’s the reason which has led many concerned bodies including
the National Forum for Environment and Health (NFEH) to ask the Karachi
Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) not to allow a central public park to host any
food festival. The Forum rightly opined in a press conference that holding such
commercial event in pubic park violates the very basic purpose for which the
urban open spaces are meant for. “The public parks are like essential public
open spaces in a city like Karachi and in no way these spaces should be used to
host a commercial activity, which has every potential to damage the very basic components
and essentials of a park” it argues.
Parks are important for people, especially the urban
communities, to stay fit and sane. Apart from offering recreational pleasure to
the city’ dwellers, parks are places where people are kept in touch with
nature. That’s the basic and foremost purpose of any park which is prioritized
and upheld world over. Any act that disrupts this basic purpose should be
discouraged therefore.
Furthermore the Supreme Court of Pakistan
already gave a ruling in 2010 against holding commercial activities in public parks and
declared it violation of Article 26 of Constitution of Pakistan. The ruling
stated that parks are purpose of providing facilities, charm and temptation to
general public in good faith and must not be used for any commercial activity.
It is also important to mention that millions of rupees
are spent each year for the maintenance of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Park -- built
on 47 acres of land -- but after holding such commercial activities the very essence
of park in terms of aesthetic and horticultural aspects will be severely
deteriorated and all public spending for maintenance will go in vain. And, in
current scenario this probable deterioration would be irreparable because city’
municipal authorities don’t have sufficient funds to repair and renovate the
beauty and infrastructure of the park again.
Therefore, the NFEH has solid reason that the food
festival has every potential to damage the very basic components and essentials
of Park. However, it is also noteworthy that Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Park is no
longer in the custody of KMC right now as in May 2017 on the directives of
Sindh Local Government, the Karachi Development Authority took over the charge
of the park.
Hope sanity prevails in governmental corridors.
By
Editorial, Infocus
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