KARACHI, Aug 10: If the pace of work on conversion of the old Sabzi Mandi land into a central park does not pick up, the project is unlikely to be completed by the end of the year.

The project area, which spreads over 16 acres, was handed over to the Corps 5 on April 2. So far it has only been levelled by removing boulders, boundary walls, auction platforms and other encroachments.

The slow pace of work does not accord with the image of the army, which in a short span of one year had developed a beautiful park around the mauso-leum of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

The central park at the old Sabzi Mandi area was promised by the authorities when the new Mandi was planned on the Superhighway in early 1990s.

Under an agreement signed bet-ween Corps Commander Lt-Gen Tariq Waseem Ghazi and City Nazim Naimatullah Khan on April 2, the park would be developed by the army from its own resources.

The central park will be the second landmark presented to the people of Karachi by the army after its contribution in the form of a Shalimar-style park around the mausoleum of the Quaid.

The City Nazim at the time of the signing ceremony of entrusting the job to the army had requested the Corps Commander to develop a beautiful park for the citizens under the “green city programme”, which was accepted.

The army, which had earlier been assigned the task of supervising the shifting of the old Sabzi Mandi to its new site, carried out surveys to ensure that no one could encroach on any part of the land after its vacation.

Soon after, a committee was formed headed by Brig Ghulam Quadir to monitor the progress of the shifting process and after its shifting the land was given under the supervision of the defunct Karachi Metropolitan Corporation for development of a non-commercial park on it.

Since the shifting of the Mandi last April, the people of Karachi have been waiting to see a sprawling park as promised by the government.

Earlier, when the decision was taken to shift the old Sabzi Mandi to the Superhighway, citizens and leaders of a cross-section of society had expressed concern over reports that after shifting of the Mandi to its new location the old area would be utilized to raise funds for the government.

They had pointed out that open spaces were inadequate for the increasing population as many such spaces had been encroached upon by manipulators, forcing children to play on roads at the risk of their lives and that of pedestrians.

They also pointed out that Karachi lacked proper parks and playgrounds and if the vacated land of the old Sabzi Mandi was put to any other use it would not only be contrary to the assurances given to the people from time to time by successive governments but would also result in causing crisis of confidence and widen the gulf between the government and the people.