RAWALPINDI: Because it is short of funds, the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) is looking for donors for the execution of its development projects and will be remodelling Raja Bazaar’s Fawara Chowk with the funds it received from Sui Natural Gas Pipeline (SNGPL).

The fountain had been abandoned eight years ago and was not in working condition. After receiving the funds, PHA demolished the old structure of the fountain and according to the remodelling plan, six pillars will be constructed around the fountain and covered with a roof or a bara dari so that the fountain will be visible from all sides.

Talking to Dawn, a senior PHA official said the civic authority was short of funds as the provincial government had not made any allocations for beautification projects in the garrison city.

He said the PHA had sought Rs230 million from the provincial government in the Annual Development Programme 2016-17 but the government had not allocated the amount.

SNGPL donates money for remodelling Fawara Chowk

“The provincial government did allocate Rs30 million, but that amount is for the construction of a park in NA-52 which is the constituency of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan,” he said.

The PHA official added that Rs150 million was required for the construction of the said park and that the remaining Rs120 million will be released in 2017-18.

When asked, PHA Director General Dr Abid Malik said the civic agency had sought help from donors as it was short of funds.

“We received Rs2 million from SNGPL for the reconstruction of the fountain. This time, the fountain will be designed so that it does not become a breeding ground for mosquitoes,” he said.

However, the PHA DG did not mention any funds received from the provincial government. He said the PHA generated funds from renting billboards and that the condition of the square on Rawal Road commonly referred to as ‘gai wala chowk’ will also be improved.

“The Rs1.7 million generated from our own sources will be used to install a model of a flying eagle on the Rawal Road square as it is near the runway of the Benazir Bhutto International Airport. The model will be eight feet long and 15 feet wide,” he said.

Fawara Chowk is the main square of the city with six roads diverging from the roundabout including Kashmiri Bazaar Road, Jinnah Road which is also known as City Saddar Road and leads towards Saddar, Raja Bazaar Road towards Dingi Khoi and Purana Qila, Iqbal Road to Committee Chowk, Liaquat Road towards Liaquat Bagh and Ganjamandi Road.

Most protests and rallies start from or culminate at this roundabout and according to people who have lived in the city for long all the main political leaders of the Indian sub-continent would arrange rallies and meetings at Fawara Chowk before partition as well.

Jawaharlal Nehru visited the garrison city before the partition and led a rally from Raja Bazaar to Bagh Sardaran. Liaquat Ali Khan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, Asghar Khan, Nawaz Sharif and other politicians have mobilised their followers during election campaigns from this chowk.

All public transport services start from this point and carry passengers to all the corners of the city as well as to adjoining towns, tehsils and villages. Back in the day, the main tonga stand was also situated at this roundabout and would bring people to and from Murree and Kashmir.

The bus service from Kashmir was also first started here and General Transport Service (GTS) vehicles would stand where the Najam Plaza is now situated.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2016