October 22, 2002	Tuesday	Sha’aban 15,1423

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RAWALPINDI, Oct 21: The once beautiful Nawaz Sharif Public Park is in a dilapidated condition and has been turned into a garbage dump owing to the apathy of the authorities concerned.

A visit to the park revealed a very dismal state of affairs. Visitors are facing numerous problems, including insufficient lighting for the past six months. Most of the lights are broken and the electricity cables are also cut at many places.

Except for the little patch in front of the main entrance, the rest of the park is in a mess with one to two feet tall grass. Some people said with the arrival of dusk, they could not set in the park as there was always a danger of being bitten by snakes or scorpions. Some people also complained about the presence of stray dogs in the park.

Talking about the lack of security arrangements, Kamran, a student of Barani University, said about three months ago, a man had been stabbed to death inside the premises of the park, but police were yet to arrest the culprits. Some visitors complained about the presence of drug addicts, who, they said, were putting a bad influence on children by openly smoking heroine-filled in the park. The water supply system is damaged at many spots. In addition to this, broken benches can be seen at many places, while some have been removed altogether. The park is also littered with garbage like packings of edible items, plastic and paper bags, banana peals etc.

Complaints of eve teasing are on the rise, Abdul Majeed, a ticketing clerk at gate no 1, said. As a result, he added that many women had stopped coming to the park.

People also complained about the low-quality and high prices of edible items available at the park. Lavatories are also in dilapidated condition, much to the inconvenience of the visitors.