Salman Ashraf
Ankara Park, once a most-visited but quiet place by tourists, sportsmen, couples, kids and families, now is in a shambles as the Capital Development Authority (CDA) have turned a blind eye towards the upkeep of the park.
Islamabad has around 180 parks along with playgrounds for the recreational activities. However, the CDA with around 1,200 technical and non-technical staff dedicated to the upkeep of these parks, has miserably failed to look after the parks well.
With an area of over 23 acres, Ankara Park has been dedicated to the friendly ties between Turkey and Pakistan. The park, situated adjacent to Rawal Lake on the park road, was designed in the year 2005 to be dedicated to the sister-cities status between Ankara and Islamabad. The then mayor of Ankara Melih Gokcek had unveiled the plaque, says a plaque at a park.
However, despite Turkey and Pakistan still enjoying warm brotherly ties, the park is facing ignorance from the CDA management, as none of the technical and non-technical staff dedicated for the park is visible on duty.
A visit to the park reflects a tale of criminal negligence and ignorance of the CDA officials as most of the equipment at the park is in shabby condition.
Out of 15 dustbins at the park, ten were without bottoms, while the fountain is also missing. No security guards, no caretakers, no street lights could be found at the park, while kids playing area has almost vanished, except only one damaged slide for the children.
Muhammad Ashraf, a vendor and regular peddler in the park, told Pakistan Today that there is no provision of street lights in the park which forces visitors to stay away from the park in the evening.
Fouzia, a regular visitor to the park, told that she was a daily visitor along with her family. She said that the families only visit the park for recreational activities like jogging and playing, but they have to leave in the evening due to the lack of proper arrangement of street lights. She said that after evening, park submerges in darkness and families cannot continue their entertainment activities.
“The Park has no playing area for kids, neither is there any playing equipment for kids. I would request the park management and the federal capital administration to manage the park properly for the sake of families. It is also necessary to cater it for better Pak-Turkey relations,” she added.
Rizwan, another park visitor, told that Ankara Park has dozens of caretakers but no one is present at this time and the room specified to them is always locked.
When contacted, Malik Saleem, the spokesperson of CDA admitted the negligence meted out to the park, telling Pakistan Today that all necessary arrangements would be taken in the next financial year starting from July.
“We will allocate the budget for the completion of missing equipment in the park and probably it will be done within the next two months,” he added.
