–PTI launches anti-litter drive to clean up April 29 rally garbage from Greater Iqbal Park
LAHORE: The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) on Tuesday decided to issue a notice to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over damages caused to the Greater Iqbal Park during the party’s public gathering here on April 29, Pakistan Today has learnt.
According to sources, the PHA has calculated the damages caused to the iron gates, walls, plantation and other property and is all set to serve the notice seeking compensation.
“The total cost of damages has been calculated to be Rs2.40 million and the PTI, in the notice, will be asked to bear the losses while paying the amount to PHA at the earliest,” sources said.
Meanwhile, PTI central Punjab President Abdul Aleem Khan admitted that damage had been caused to the property of the Greater Iqbal Park and said his party was ready to pay for the losses. However, he rejected allegations levelled by the government officials and termed them baseless.
“Our workers participated in the event responsibly. If someone alleges that we caused damage to the plants there, we are ready to plant another 10 trees at every place where one was damaged. Minar-e-Pakistan is our national property and it is the collective responsibility of all of us to protect it and keep it clean,” he said.
On the other hand, PTI Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Shoaib Siddique along with party workers visited Minar-e-Pakistan on Tuesday and lifted garbage from the site. A video of him participating in the PTI’s cleanliness drive also went viral on social media.
It merits mention here that workers of the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) remained busy lifting garbage from the Greater Iqbal Park on Monday, however, the task could not be completed owing to the minimal number of workers.
On Tuesday, the LWMC staff could not continue the task on account of the Labour Day holiday that was being observed across the country.
The Greater Iqbal Park, where hundreds of thousands of PTI workers gathered on April 29, had lost its beauty with garbage lying everywhere. Several activist organisations took to social media and posted pictures of the park filled with heaps of garbage.
On Sunday, PTI Chairman Imran Khan, at Minar-e-Pakistan, had unfolded his party’s 11-point agenda to turn the country into “Naya Pakistan”. The agenda included the elimination of corruption, self-reliance and reforms in the health as well as education sectors.
