28 August 2004	Saturday	11 Rajab 1425

KARACHI, Aug 27: The nazims of various towns have severely criticized the City District Government Karachi for its discriminatory policy of ignoring some towns in the model parks project.

These elected representatives took strong exception to the fact and said that some towns and union councils, having nazims from groups other than the Al-Khidmat, were ignored in the development projects particularly in the recent development of model parks.

Areas falling in Lyari, Baldia, Orangi, Bin Qasim and Keamari towns were ranked as the most backward and remote towns of Karachi having poor infrastructure, dilapidated roads, damaged water and sewerage lines.

In addition, these areas also experienced scarcity of recreational facilities like parks, playgrounds etc due to negligence on the part of authorities.

According to the project's document, 11 model parks were being developed in F.B. Area in Gulberg Town, Metroville in Site Town, Nazimabad in Liaquatabad Town, Shah Faisal in Malir Town, Korangi, North Karachi, North Nazimabad and Surjani in Gadap and Gulshan-e-Iqbal towns.

The seven towns kept out of the plan include Lyari, Baldia, Orangi, Keamari, Bin Qasim, Saddar and Jamshed towns. The two model parks, one inaugurated in Metroville in Site Town and the second planned in Surjani in Gadap Town, were in areas with town nazims from groups other than the Al-Khidmat.

"A step motherly treatment is being meted out to these areas in development projects right from the inception of the CDGK, as no major development work has been carried out in these areas," said the towns nazims of Lyari, Baldia and Bin Qasim while talking to the PPI on Friday.

Naib-Nazim Lyari Town Malik Muhammad Khan Awan, when contacted, severely criticized the CDGK for ignoring the oldest locality of the city in development work. "Injustice and discrimination with the people of Lyari has become a routine matter."

He said; " At the time of launching of the model parks project, we asked the CDGK to establish such parks in Lyari and proposed a site, but to no avail." The Baldia Town Nazim, Aurangzaib Khan, expressing similar views lashed out at the city government for ignoring Baldia Town in the parks project.

"Injustice is not only limited to development schemes, but the CDGK also sometimes withholds octroi amounts of these towns." Bin Qasim Town Nazim Ashiq Jamote when contacted expressed his anguish over the unjust policies of the CDGK meted out to his town.

"We offered the CDGK land for establishing a model park but they paid no heed and went with their traditional policy of ignoring one of the backward towns of the city." - PPI