LAHORE, Feb 5: The football ground at the E Block of Gulshan-i-Ravi has been made a ‘no-go’ area for the youth of adjoining areas on the pretext of preserving its plants and grass while there is no bar on arranging marriage parties there.

Youth playing cricket on the roads in the north and west of the park told this reporter on Monday that even their siblings who are below 10 years of age could not play cricket in the ground soon after Eidul Azha holidays.

“The officials of the PHA deputed for the park’s maintenance had told us that we could play on the roads but not in the park because we ruin the grass and destroy the plants there. But marriage parties arranged here regularly do no harm to the ground,” they said.

PHA officials at the ground said the ban was imposed on the directive of UC nazim Mian Waheed who received complaints that the youth had disturbed the peace of the residents of adjoining houses by fighting with one another, frequently throwing balls in the compounds and breaking windowpanes. “There were reports that these youth also tease the students of the girls’ school,” the officials alleged.

The allegations levelled by the DHA officials stunned the cricketing youth. “We live in these houses and our parents would not have allowed us to come out had there been any such problems. Aren’t we disturbing the peace of our families by playing on the roads in front of our houses? We play on holidays when the school is closed,” they maintained.

The offices of union council 87 were closed and a man there said all members and officials of the local body had gone to participate in the Kashmir Day rally.

Situated in the jurisdiction of union council No 87, the ground is looked after by the Parks and Horticulture Authority. Sunday Bazaar is held on the eastern road that is adjacent to the commercial area of the housing scheme, better known as the Moon Market. The Gulshan-i-Ravi main road is in the south, there are houses in north and west besides the Government Girls’ High School.