ISLAMABAD: CDA mandarins have decided to build a Safari Park of “international standard” inside the F-9 Fatima Jinnah Park, and allocated an “initial amount” of Rs400 million for the 100-acre amusement park.

Their decision, taken in a meeting held on Wednesday under CDA Chairman Maroof Afzal, sounded amusing for two reasons: citizens of Islamabad believe their elected councillors would be running the affairs of the city, and two, the pitiable conditions in Marghazar Zoo expose the inefficiency of the CDA.

While CDA spokesman Ramzan Sajid assured “the zoo will also be upgraded”, Member Environment Sanaullah Aman reminded Dawn that city parks would be out of the purview of the elected Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC).

This stand clashes with a recent government statement that devolved the environment directorate, and many others, to the IMC.

“Development of parks is the responsibility of the CDA,” the officer said. “That’s why we have decided to establish a Safari Park.”

“I’m also in talks with experts to know their point of view about shifting of Kaavan (the lone elephant in Margazhar Zoo) to a comfortable place till the Safari Park is ready,” he added.

A CDA official, however, confided that city managers were not taking much interest in improving the Islamabad Zoo as it was going to be devolved to IMC.

CDA decision makers were informed at Wednesday’s meeting that upgradation of F-9 Park, spread over 745 acres, was in progress. Already facilities over 40 acres area have been improved while similar work was going on over 200 acres.

Facilities like children park, walking and jogging tracks, cycling track, skating track, cricket ground and other amusement facilities are being up-graded in the vast park.

When contacted, the principal architect of F-9 Park, Nayyar Ali Dada, said that as per master plan of the park, Safari Park could be established on over 80 acres. However, that area can be extended.

Citizen Clubs at F-9 park

In 2010, the Supreme Court had declared the structure of the Citizen Club over 20-acres of land “illegal” when it was almost complete.

In its judgment the court said it was opposing building such clubs, but this facility would serve only the elites of the society.

Wednesday’s decision suggests that the CDA abandoned the alternative the Supreme Court proposed. It had said: “As a huge amount has already been spent (on the club), the CDA, with the approval of the federal government, instead of abandoning the project, may utilize the building and other facilities for any public welfare project, like women university, medical/engineering college, science, technology or IT institution, etc.”

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2016