KARACHI: It was the ninth death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto, a public holiday in Sindh. One expected both the provincial government and metropolitan authorities to present in a special way all those buildings and monuments constructed in her memory. But that did not appear to be their priority.

The Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Park at Boat Basin in Clifton is a sprawling garden with nice-looking gazebos and canopies for those who wish to sit in a sheltered space. It was sad to see the park on Tuesday morning in a condition that can only be felt sorry for.

The entrance from the main road that connects Bilawal Chowrangi to the Boat Basin traffic signal was a dead giveaway that nothing out of the ordinary or commemorative had been done to make the facility look distinctive.

Inside the park, there were a handful of people present — three students and two couples. The students were from a local school and had made their way on a motorbike because their school had allowed them to leave early. They knew about the importance of the day, but were in the park to have a good time.

The domed structure particularly cut a sorry figure. The benches inside were dirty, and looking at the floor one could easily make out that paan-eaters are regular visitors to the park. And the glass walls had sticker residue on them.

Talking to Dawn, park gardener Rahim said, “Construction work is going on. Perhaps that’s why no special arrangements have been made to commemorate the day.”

Construction work or no construction work, the park is named after a great leader. Those whose job it is to look after its upkeep should be aware of its symbolic significance.

Published in Dawn December 28th, 2016