MORNING walk is one of the most effective ways to stay healthy, but instead of encouraging this activity, the Model Town Society in Lahore clearly has commercial interests in mind. There are countries where healthcare itself is free of cost, but in Lahore, an everyday act like a morning walk has to be paid for.

The visitors who used to come for a morning walk at Model Town Park did not have to pay any entrance fee from dawn till 8am. But now they have to dish out Rs20 just to have a walk early in the morning.

The Model Town Park is the biggest such facility in the area, and many people prefer it because of its proper maintenance and cleanliness, and the earlier practice of charging people after 8am was fair enough because it charged people who came for fun and recreation, not for a health walk.

In today’s world, there is a trend to raise ‘tax the rich’ slogans, and that is all very well. It is also true that Model Town does house a large population of upper and upper-middle-class people. But can one deny the simple fact that there are also the not-so-rich who happen to be among the early-morning ‘walkers’ who come to the said park?

The Model Town management should withdraw the fee and revert to previous practice. People should be given a cost-free opportunity to take care of their health and keep themselves active.

Ajer Shaheen
Lahore

Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2022