KARACHI, May 7: A dispute over jurisdiction is making Jinnah Avenue/Highway suffer and a portion of it is being neglected as far as its maintenance work is concerned.

Road repair, footpaths, greenery, central islands and streetlights are not being maintained properly on this one km-long portion which falls in Malir Town as well as in the Faisal Cantonment Board.

The area between Malir Halt and the Model Colony graveyard remains dark, causing problems to pedestrians and motorists.

The darkness has reigned here for the past three years and no steps have been taken by the authorities concerned for making the streetlights operational, despite several complaints made by the area people and shopkeepers.

Inquiries revealed that the residential-cum-official area has been neglected by the concerned cantonment board for some years, and all efforts made for proper maintenance of the streetlights have failed.

The defunct DMC East, under an arrangement, on the persistent demand of the residents of the locality, had agreed to fix lights on this portion of the road, although the area fell in the cantonment board/district Malir.

However, since the inception of the new setup, the road has again been neglected and a large number of people are suffering; they prefer other routes for going to Model Colony and Malir’s other areas.

The Malir Town administration has fixed floodlights at a number of roundabouts in the town, but they are not giving importance to this portion of road owing to its unclear status.

The area people have demanded that the complete two-way track be maintained by Malir Town as it seems odd that they have fixed flood lights near the recently built Reunion Mini-Park in front of the Model Colony graveyard.

Motorists fear that their vehicles might be snatched by carjackers, and it has become risky for bike-riders to travel on the road which is without any streetlights.

The worst hit are those who come to the nearby along this 200-feet-wide double track are residential colonies and societies, the vulnerable Security Printing Press and the offices of the former deputy commissioner of Malir, the SDM airport and the revenue staff. Nearby lie the SOS village and the model colony graveyard.

In the absence of street-lights, traffic mishaps often take place and area people alleged that the street-lights are deliberately put off for unknown reasons.

Residents of Tariq bin Ziayad Society, Huma Town and other adjoining societies resent the non-energization of the street-lights making the area a haven for drug addicts, thieves, and other criminals. They said bout 50 poles were without streetlights.

Similarly, on the main Sharea Faisal, between Airport and Malir Kala Board, lights on one sides of the road remain off.

As there are no poles in the middle of the road, the city government has been urged by the area people to make arrangements for proper lighting.