CDA, MCI ransack tennis facility in Islamabad

Islamabad : The venue for the annual Benazir Bhutto International and national tennis, Islamabad Tennis Complex has been ransacked by a combined demolition team of Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) early Saturday morning, setting aside stay orders issued by Civil Judge First Class Islamabad.

The venue that has been providing basic tennis facilities to budding tennis stars including some orphans at the academy has been in operation for well over two decades.

“We have in possession of all the relevant documents regarding the use of facilities. CDA and MCI are also privy to all these agreements. That is the reason we have not received any complaint or any notice before the one we received on April 13, 2024, against which we successfully got a stay on April 19 from the court," said Fazale Subhan who is running one of the best tennis facilities in Islamabad.

He said when the CDA and MCI team stormed into the arena in the wee hours Saturday and started ransacking the venue, we showed them the stay order but they completely defied that, saying that they had orders from the top CDA officials to dismantle the place,” said Fazale Subhan.

The complex has recently offered free-of-cost facilities to orphans and handicapped and special children. “As you are aware, a special programme for orphans and handicapped children was also underway every week where they get basic tennis education.”

Sindh Government provides yearly financial support to organise Benazir Bhutto International/national tennis event. For three years in running before COVID-19, some leading international stars also competed in BB International Tennis.

“I am shocked to see this high-headedness from the CDA/MCI team that ransacked the place that was built following years of efforts," Senator Taj Haider said.

He said the place is in the heart of the capital questioning was the CDA not aware of the development of these facilities. They never raised any questions then.

“Even CDA organised tennis events with the name of Chairman CDA Tennis where their top officials came for prize distribution. No one had any objections at that time,” Senator Taj Haider, who always extended a helping hand to the complex, said.

The senator, who with the support of the Sindh Government organised Benazir Bhutto Tennis on an annual basis, claimed that he could have organised the event in Sindh. “Since Benazir Bhutto was the simple of unity, I preferred to organise it in the capital.”

After distributing a set amount as cash to players, part of it every year goes into the renovation of these facilities. CDA and MCI have destroyed everything. Even they did not care about the court stay order. I will raise the question in Senate and will take all possible steps to restore the complex’s sanctity.”

Even Senator Faratullah Babar, the Patron of Benazir Bhutto Tennis was upset at the CDA/MCI action. “Such an action is unpardonable. Why this haste-who is behind it we have to look into it. This venue has always extended facilities to poor and low-income people who have the right to play tennis.”

The CDA and MCI have never tried wholeheartedly to raise sports facilities in the capital, rather looking more interested in destroying the existing ones. They did the same to Margalla Tennis Club almost a year back-which is now back on its feet and owned by a private party.

The administrator of the Municipal Corporation of Islamabad (MCI), Rana Waqas Anwar when contacted by 'The News' said that there were many complaints and requests from the residents regarding access to the public park, demand for payment of fees to use the tennis court facilities, and bifurcation of the park.

He said that CDA carried out an operation to remove the bifurcated area's boundary wall between courts and park, rooms, restoring the park to its original shape.

“While carrying out the operation, we considered compliance with the IHC decision in W.P. 3372/2022 making the availability of tennis facilities to all public without discrimination,” he said.

The sources said that there are some other facilities like Margalla Tennis Club and Shalimar Cricket Club which are still in possession of private parties and have not been touched and Saturday’s operation was an exception.

However, there is a big question mark as to how the majority of the general public does not know the basics of games like tennis would use the facility which also demands daily upkeep and maintenance. "How the general public will use the facility when they do not even know how to hold a tennis racket," a tennis player watching the CDA operation said.

It has also been a practice that CDA and MCI people play havoc with the sports facilities they possess as they are doing with cricket grounds.

In this particular case, the Director of Sports and Culture issued cancellation orders of permission for the use of land for the tennis complex on April 08. Five days later, a notice was issued and the operation was carried out within a week.

Rana Waqas Anwar said that the MCI would now run the facility through a public-private partnership.