KARACHI, June 22: The abandoned project of National Indoor Sports Complex, it appears, is set for its second time ground breaking ceremony, in the first week of August, which is most likely to be performed by President Gen Pervez Musharraf.
The project has been redesigned by dissecting it into two ventures - sports complex and commercial complex - to facilitate investment on BOT (Built, operate and transfer) basis. Its completion date has been fixed April 30, 2007.
Situated at the intersection of the MA Jinnah Road and the Garden Road, the project was abandoned soon after its construction started in 1977, due to change of the government.
However, an attempt for its revival was made by former Sindh governor Mohammadmian Soomro, through a “Task Force”, set up for economic revival of urban Sindh.
After introduction of new local government system, no decision was taken, with regard to the project, except to use its open space as charged parking. Later, with the formation of elected government in the Centre and provinces, the matter was sorted out and a decision was taken by the sports complex implementation committee, which was chaired by the then chief secretary, KB Rind, to offer the complex for construction on BOT basis, under the supervision of the Sindh Department of culture, tourism, sports and youth affairs.
The area reserved for the project is over 17,125 square yards, situated across Kandawal building on the MA Jinnah Road.
The agreement reached between the committee and the government was reviewed at a high-level meeting, presided over by Chief Secretary Dr Mutawwakal Kazi, where other related decisions were also taken, including the decision to transfer the complex to the City District Government Karachi, free of cost.
The meeting decided to send the summary of the project to the Chief Minister Ali Muhammad Mahar, pertaining to lease period and other regulations, who was acquainted with details of the project with the help of charts and slides.
According to the proposed plan, its commercial complex will be 15 storey high, whose ground, mezzanine, first and second floors, will have its administration block, and a hostel, while from the third floor to the 15th, there will be offices and residential blocks. City Nazim Naimatullah Khan, secretary works and communications, and secretary culture, referring rules and regulations, stressed the need to workout a co-sharing formula for the city government.
The CS directed the sports complex committee to provide a copy of the agreement to the city Nazim to seek his opinion, so that the complex building might be constructed in a transparent manner.
The meeting was informed that the copies of its agreement and terms and conditions, before leasing out the project, would be sent to president and prime minister’s secretariats and a copy will also be presented in the next meeting of the cabinet.
Those present at the meeting included, Additional Chief Secretary (Development) Ghulam Sarwar Khero, City Nazim Naimatullah Khan, Secretary Communications and Works, Ashfaq Memon, Secretary Culture, Gul Mohammad Imrani, DCO Karachi Mir Hussain Ali and others.
