All set to start winter family festival today

LAHORE: After almost 15 years, Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) has organised the biggest winter family festival across the province, which will be started today (Thursday).

Senior Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal while addressing a press conference announced this here Wednesday. Commissioner Lahore Muhammad Amir Jan, CCPO Ghulam Mahmood Dogar, PHA Chairman Engineer Yasir Gillani, Vice-Chairman Zeeshan Rasheed and DG Zeeshan Javed were also present.

The minister said that Punjab's biggest winter family festival was being held in Jilani Park after 15 years. He said the grand opening of the festival would be held Thursday (today), and the festival would be continued for a month. He said that the festival contained the best food courts and restaurants for the traditional cuisine of Lahore, while security and other arrangements were completed and it would be the best event in the history of the province. The purpose of organising the mega event was to attract people to the parks and grounds, he added.

The minister said that steps were being taken to beautify the entrance and exit points of Lahore. The work on improving Shahdara, Babu Sabu interchange and Gajjumata entrances were in full swing.

The underpass was designed to improve the flow of traffic on the Gulshan Ravi crossing at Bund Road while the lighting system was being improved in city parks under a phased programme, he mentioned. In response to a question, the senior minister said that instructions had already been issued to regularise the gardeners and the PHA was ordered to take steps with the union concerned to regularise the gardeners. An inquiry was in process regarding the irregularities in the revenue matters of PHA and steps were being taken to increase its revenue, he said while answering another question. On this occasion, PHA Chairman, Vice-Chairman and DG also talked with the media and gave details of the festival. They said the festival was the best opportunity for free entertainment for all citizens.