Football ground inaugurated in Gizri

Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Sunday inaugurated the Gizri Football Stadium constructed at a cost of Rs170 million.

Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah Murad, Union Committee Chairman and District South Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) General Secretary Karamullah Waqasi, Karachi Neighbourhood Improvement Project (KNIP) Director Nazir Memon and others were also present on the occasion.

The mayor spoke to the media after unveiling the plaque and said that in the next one month, 23 projects would be completed under the KNIP.

He explained that these projects were different from the annual development program and ongoing development projects funded by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC). He said the Sindh government would complete its term as per the rules but the PPP would remain and continue its activities.

Now, the mayor said, the elected representatives were not crying for powers like it used to happen in the past. He added that a walking track and cycle track were being built for the citizens at the Bagh Ibne Qasim where two days in a week would be reserved for women so that they could walk and cycle freely.

Work on the Qalandri Ground in PNT Colony would finish by the end of August, he said. Wahab said the chief minister had also inaugurated the Safe City Project while an IT park was being built with the cooperation of the NED University at a cost of Rs25 billion, which would provide employment to thousands of youth.

The old Kakri Ground, he said, had been transformed into a modern People's Sports Complex by the government and now a big football tournament was going to be held there starting August 14. He added that Karachi was a city of football lovers and Lyari was their stronghold.

He requested the people of Gizri to own the new football stadium and preserve it. In response to a question, he said the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) would continue to make hue and cry over the mayoral election. “The people of Karachi are not interested in protest but in the development of the city. We will continue working in the same way,” he said.

He said that under the 100 Parks Rehabilitation Project in District Central, the government had renovated 74 parks and opened them for the citizens. Similarly 35 parks had been renovated in District South, Wahab added.

He said that under the KNIP, several major development projects were being completed in South, Malir and Korangi districts of Karachi. He said he had signed maintenance contracts to repair and maintain fire tenders and other machinery of the fire department.