ISLAMABAD: The concerned department of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) was on Sunday directed by the mayor and CDA chief Sheikh Ansar Aziz to carry out repairs and maintenance work at the National Monument.

The mayor and his team made a visit to the monument a few hours before the visiting deputy prime minister of Uzbekistan Ulgbek Rozukulov was to arrive there in order to inspect the arrangements made.

According to a CDA official, the mayor expressed dissatisfaction over the broken tiles, poor sanitation and overgrown bushes in and around the monument.

All national buildings are valuable assets and their upkeep, preservation and renovation is our responsibility and obligation, a press release issued by the CDA quoted the mayor as saying.

According to the press release, the mayor made a visit to the monument and directed concerned formations to remove wild over growth and grass from the surrounding areas, and that trees should also be trimmed so that visitors could enjoy views of the city.

During his visit to the national building, he said visitors from across the country and abroad and that available resources to keep it clean.

Though the mayor directed CDA Member Engineering Shahid Sohail to carry out the necessary repair work, according to CDA officials, gardening and other environment related work in the Pakistan Monument, Pak-China Friendship Centre and the Convention Centre are now assigned to the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2016