KARACHI: City Administrator Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Friday said that the provincial government was taking all possible steps for restoring lights of the city.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the second Marigold Festival here at Frere Hall, he said that the beautiful flowers were the identity of the city. “Citizen must come to see the exhibition of flowers,” he added.

The event was also attended by Metropolitan Commissioner Syed Afzal Zaidi, Director General-Parks Junaidullah Khan, District Governor of Rotary International Dr Aftab Imam, Abdullah Rafi, Anjum Dadi, Farah Malik, Muhammad Yaqub Attari and a large number of people.

The administrator said that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s Parks and Horticulture Department had worked hard to cultivate these flowers and organise the exhibition, adding that the citizens were actually rewarded for their hard work.

“The KMC is the same, resources are the same but there is no decry of problems and everyone is watching the work being done as we believe in serving the people,” he added.

He said that the coronavirus, which was spreading rapidly in Karachi, had forced the city’s municipal administration to rehabilitate the parks so that citizens could spend their time in the open air.

“We are fulfilling the promises made with the citizens and the campaign for restoration of parks for the citizens is going on,” he said.

On the occasion, the administrator also saw the flowers planted in the second Marigold Festival and visited the stalls.

The administrator said that in a week’s time, Karachi Zoo’s Baradari would also be decorated and opened for the public.

On the occasion, he also inspected the historical fountain, which was restored by the parks and horticulture department after the closure of over 50 years.

“The citizens of Karachi have suffered a lot in the past but now the people want the city to be as peaceful, prosperous and awake as in the past and we are restoring the splendour of the past,” he added.

Barrister Wahab, who is also the provincial government’s spokesman and chief minister’s law adviser, said that the city was drowned in rainwater during last year’s rains but this year the citizens did not face any difficulty due to the efforts and hard work of the local governments.

“The flow of traffic remained as usual as the rainwater was drained out timely,” he claimed.

The administrator said that those who had objections to the new local government system should raise the issue in the provincial assembly.

“No opposition party submitted any amendments to the law in the assembly,” he added.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2022