ISLAMABAD, Aug 29: Capital Development Authority Chairman Kamran Lashari on Tuesday turned the tables on the lawmakers who demanded an explanation from him for allowing a fast food outlet to open its business in F-9 Park by declaring that more such commercial activity would be allowed there.
“Food outlets and shops are allowed in public parks all over the world,” the supremely confident official told the members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly, asking “what is the objection here?”
It seemed the PAC members had no clue and Mr Lashari, taking advantage of their unpreparedness, convinced them that the CDA’s decision to open the F-9 Park to McDonald’s and other commercial activities, was correct.
None of the PAC members recalled that there existed a Supreme Court ruling in the Mini Golf Club case that commercial activity was not permitted in public parks.
Mr Lashari said he was unable to understand the logic behind the criticism on the issue. “Restaurants are being run in various parks of Lahore also,” he observed.
The PAC members did not cross-question the CDA chairman nor took up the issues the civil society had been agitating, such as alleged gobbling up of the green belt and giving McDonald’s access to the upcoming Blue Area from two sides — Jinnah Avenue and F-10 Markaz Road.
Over 5.5 acres of the park land was reportedly leased out to Siza Food, which holds the franchise for McDonald’s in Pakistan, after Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao approved the proposal.
Though the cost of the land is estimated to be Rs4 billion to Rs5 billion, it has reportedly been given on 20-year lease for just Rs317,000 per month.
Recently opposition Senator Sadia Abbasi filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the establishment of the fast food outlet in the park.
Justice Rana Bhagwandas and Justice Faqir Muhammad Khokhar took up the case on the basis of her application and press reports about the outlets, including one in Jinnah Park, Rawalpindi.
MNA Asiya Azeem of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League in the meeting said the PAC members had no objection to the opening of McDonald’s in the F-9 Park. They were only concerned about the reports that the food chain was provided land in violation of rules and on cheap rates.
However, Mr Lashari denied that, saying anyone could check the documents and records.
He said bids were called through advertisements in the newspapers for establishing a food stall of international standard in the park. Three firms responded to the advertisement. Only McDonald’s fulfilled the CDA’s requirements. The other two parties even did not have any experience of running a restaurant in the country.
Mr Lashari said the CDA was planning to allow more food stalls in the park.
When asked about the lease period, the CDA chairman said he was not sure “but perhaps it was for a period of 30 years”.