50 parks being constructed across Karachi, says mayor

Fifty new parks are being constructed across the city and several development projects are in their final stage. Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab said this on Wednesday while inaugurating the newly constructed Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Family Park in Union Committee 5 Rasheedabad of Baldia Town.

He stated that the water shortage in District West had been addressed by channeling 100 million gallons of water per day from the Hub River. He added that a satellite centre of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases would also be established in Baldia Town to ensure that residents of Mauripur and Keamari no longer had to travel across the city for medical treatment.

He also emphasised that action against encroachments was possible only with the public support. The event was attended by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders, town and union committee chairmen and local party representatives.

The mayor reaffirmed that development work was being carried out indiscriminately across all seven districts of Karachi. He assured the participants that they would continue to see new projects being completed in the city.

Wahab noted that the inauguration of the park was part of his earlier commitment to developing 50 new parks. “What was once a garbage dump has now been transformed into a green space, reflecting the vision of the Peoples Party and Bilawal Bhutto,” he said.

With the tender process already completed, Wahab announced that a football ground would soon be built on Mauripur Road. He said that ongoing development work was evident and took a jab at former Mayor Wasim Akhtar, criticising him for making excuses about lack of authority instead of taking action. “Unlike in the past, when files were just thrown around in the media, KMC is actively working today,” the mayor said.

He highlighted that while every citizen desired facilities near their homes, this often resulted in encroachments and traffic congestion, negatively impacting everyone. He urged the citizens to boycott street vendors, explaining that impounded carts must legally be returned within 15 days, after which vendors simply returned to the same spots because people continued to buy from them.

He explained that the newly built 20,000-square-foot park included recreational facilities for children. He said Baldia Town was a less-developed area and the PPP was committed to delivering municipal services to every corner of Karachi.