KARACHI, Feb 28: The picturesque Bagh Ibne Qasim, which was officially opened by President General Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday, will open its gates for the public sometime next week.

A large number of people from across the city thronged to the 130-acre park to enjoy its enormity and immediate proximity with the sea but the security officials told them that it was not yet opend for the people.

Officials looking after the park said, there were many reasons for delaying the opening by a few days. One of them was cleaning the premises after the high-profile inauguration function held in the heart of the park. “A lot of debris from Tuesday’s reception are to be cleared from the Bagh before it can be opened for the people,” said a source.

It is also learnt, the CDGK has to award the contract for ticket collection. The contracts for security and maintenance have already been awarded.

An official said the ticket collection contract would be given in a few days and the park opened for the public sometime next week.