ISLAMABAD: The Community Centre at G-6 and one lane of Aabpara-Melody road were reopened on Friday.

Due to the inordinate delay in completion of construction work on sports facilities, the community center was not in proper use.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Capital Development Authority Ali Nawaz Awan on Friday re-inaugurated the facility.

“The construction work had been facing delay for the last few years due to a handing-taking over issue between the Staff Welfare Organisation and the contractor. I got resolved this issue and now the facility is available for the residents of G-6,” he told Dawn.

The community centre has a daycare centre, wedding halls, training centres for youth and a women art and craft centre, an auditorium and a library.

Mr Awan said that there was four years’ delay in handing and taking over of the basketball court, squash court and net practice facility but “this issue has been resolved now.”

He said there was minor work on the squash court pending which will be completed by next week.

He said that the training centre, which was shifted to the community cenrtre G-9, will be brought back to the G-6 centre and will be available for public from Monday.

Meanwhile, he also supervised reopening of one lane of Aabpara-Melody road, which remained blocked for the last one year due to a security issue.

The blockade of the road has been causing hardship for residents of who had to take alternative routes to reach the Aabpara market.

The one lane has been opened for two-way traffic while the other lane is stilled blocked.

“The residents of G-6 are happy as today at least one lane of the road has been reopened. The SAPM assured us that the second lane will also be opened in coming week,” said Jamal Mahmood, a resident of G-6.

Another resident, Nazir Ali, said the second lane should also be opened without any delay as people of a number of sectors such as G-6, G-7, F-6, F-7 and those visiting Polyclinic and G-6 Sunday Bazaar were facing problems.

“There is no justification to keep the public road closed due to a security issue related to a mosque. The government should look into it. Roads are meant for transport not for barricades,” he said.

The SAPM said he would direct the CDA to construct a new u-turn in place of the one in front of Lal Masjid so that after leaving a portion outside the mosque, the second lane too will be made available for commuters.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2021