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(Video and Text) Karachiites manifest against commercialization of Zamzama Park

M. M. ALAM

KARACHI: Venue was the Zamzama Park where a large number of Karachiites converged to manifest against its  imminent commercialization.

Talking to NPTV (Official Partner BBCNEWS), Aslam Sanjrani said:

“I retired from the government of Pakistan as a federal secretary. I’ve been chief secretary of this province, and I know the worth of an environment”.

Aslam Sanjrani, realizing that someone had to step forward to bell the cat, opted to step forward to advocate the right of the people.

He held that the Zamzama Park management wanted the walkers to find some other place.

He told that in order to discourage walkers and joggers the management turn off the light. He further informed that earlier old plants were destroyed.

Sanjrani said that there were plans to construct shops that would further deteriorate the degree of  traffic congestion.

“I know how important it was for president Musharraf to have taken this decision to convert this plot into park and this was his gift to the residents of this area, to the residents of defense,and adjoining areas.

“This is a park that caters to all segments of the society. Old people, young people,very old people like me, very very young boys and girls, they all come here. Disabled people come here,this is a family park, we don’t know who these people are but they’re family.

“They know us, we see them each day, they see us every day. So we are a family, we walk here, this is our park.

“Whoever thinks they own this place. They should realize there are 2 supreme court decisions against converting parks into commercial ventures.

“Here they are, one is if you remember the Jinnah Park in Islamabad, Mr. Kamran Lashari, he converted and gave a piece of that place to MC Donalds. He still can’t find a job. The supreme court was very harsh, and clear.

Yeh hamara park hai, we need this for ourselves. For our families. Those who want to do  a commercial activity here…should remember they are just the custodians of this park.

“The park belongs to the people of this area. Because it was a gift to the people of this area, how can they… once you give me a gift, how can you take it away.

“Yeh to hamaray culture main hi nahi hai. Yeh hamara gift hai, hamaray paas rehna chahiyai hai. Haan agar ham aap ko phir wapas karnai kai lia kahain tou aap bilkul lailain! Ham nai wapis nahi kiya hai, yeh hamari cheez hai”.

Other participants told that they had been visiting Zamzama Park to walk and jog for decades and its commercialization would deprive the region of the only green patch of terrain amid the concrete jungle.

 

M M Alam

M. M. Alam is a Pakistan-based working journalist since 1981. Karachi University faculty gold medalist Alam began his career four decades ago by writing for Dawn, Pakistan’s highest circulating English daily. He has worked for region’s leading publications, global aviation periodicals including Rotors (of USA) and vetted New York Times as permanent employee of daily Express Tribune. Alam regularly covers international aviation and defense-related events including Salon Du Bourget (France), Farnborough (United Kingdom), Dubai (UAE). Alam has reported thousands of events and interviewed hundreds of people in Pakistan, UAE, EU, UK and USA. Being Francophone Alam also coordinates with a number of French publications.