ISLAMABAD: Only families are allowed to enter Lake View Park till Sunday keeping in view the park’s capacity.

A notification issued from the office of the district magistrate said during Eid holidays it was expected that a large number of people shall visit Lake View Park, filling the park beyond its capacity. Keeping in view, the safety and convenience of the general public it has been decided to allow only families indie the Lake View Park till Sunday May 8.

Officials of police said that a large number of boys and men in groups came over to the park, however, all were disallowed to enter it. Some groups got violent in late evening and scuffled with police outside the main gate. Besides, they also spread on Murre Road and created scene, they added.

During the scuffle with the police, dozens of boys/men were picked up and bundled in police vehicles and transported to Secretariat Police Station, the officials said, adding that only 13 were detained for further legal action and a case was being registered against them while the rest were released.

Dozens arrested for trying to enter the park

Officials of the administration and police said that the step was taken keeping in view political intolerance in society, which already caused a couple of scuffles in the capital. It is suspected that the groups of boys/men coming to the park may engage in violence due to their political affiliations, they added.

Families and groups of girls also visited the park and the step was taken to also avoid last year’s Minar-i-Pakistan like incident, the officials added.

During the peak hours and holidays, the number of visitors to the park reaches 10,000 to 15,000 at a time, especially in the late afternoon till the evening. Residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi besides people from nearby districts come to the park during holidays, they added.

A large number of people either coming from or going to Murree from other parts of the country also visit the Lake View Park, they said, adding during the Eid holidays hundreds of thousands of people visited the park.

Besides, the presence of the about 10,000 to 15,000 people inside the park, about the same number of people waited outside the gate or in their cars in long queues at both lanes of the Murree Road, the officials said, adding that during the peak hours about 8,000 vehicles were parked inside and outside the park.

Besides, due to the rush, more than 10,000 vehicles are found stuck at both lanes of the Murree Road from Bhara Kahu bazaar to Kashmir Chowk and Khayaban-i-Suhrwardy.

Due to the lack proper traffic management and presence of required traffic officials, the vehicles remain stuck for hours, they said, adding due to lack of discipline some vehicles also collided with each other and the drivers scuffled which further increased the traffic congestion.

Earlier, the police deployed reserves and traffic personnel at every turn of Muree Road and main points to regulate traffic. Police reserves were also deployed at Lake View Park, including parking lots, to ensure better environment for the visiting families.

A large number of families visited the park and enjoyed, the officials said. Moreover, people also visited other tourist attractions in the capital like Chathar Park, Shahdara, Chinese Park, Murghazar Park, Daman-i-Koh and F-9 Park.

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2022