KARACHI, July 27: Adviser to the Chief Minister Waseem Akhtar on Wednesday issued directives to develop Burnes Road as a food street and in this regard formed a committee consisting EDO Transport Dr Tahir Soomro and Director-General of Mass Transit Programme Malik Zaheerul Islam.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting which was attended by Additional Chief Secretary Local Government Mohammad Saleem Khan, Additional Secretary Ghulam Arif Khan, DCO Fazalur Rahman, KWSB MD Brig Iftikhar Haider, and EDOs.

The committee will meet the DIG traffic and representatives of transporters and submit its report in 10 days. In this regard, the traffic will be closed on Burnes Road during night hours whereas more lights would be installed along it.

If the experiment of Burnes Road proved a success, more food streets would be developed at Jheel Park (Tariq Road), Board Office and Boat Basin.

Mr Akhtar said that in all big cities of the world, the food street culture appeared common and citizens of Karachi also needed food streets in many of the city’s localities.

He directed the officials concerned to complete the Burnes Road food street project on an urgent basis and look into all legal requirements in this regard.

The adviser also asked the department concerned to study the HBFC’s offer of providing residential facilities to low-income groups.

The minister was told that such a project was under consideration.—PPI