Karachi, June 10, 2024 — The first formal complaint lodged by a North Karachi citizen regarding the construction of a park in Sector 5E remains unresolved 18 months later, despite repeated appeals to the provincial Ombudsman District Central Sindh and the District Central Administration.
The initial hearing for the complaint was held on December 19, 2022, at 11 AM, where both parties were summoned. The claimant had requested the construction of a park, which had long been neglected by local authorities. Following the hearing, a tender for the park, along with four others, was awarded in March 2023. The contract for Sector 5E North Karachi was granted to Sehgal Enterprises Group for 5,746,539 rupees.
Despite the tender being awarded, the construction has yet to begin. The claimant recounted a conversation with former Director Park Central, Nadeem Hanif, who assured that construction would commence immediately after the Baldiyati elections. However, these elections had not occurred by that time, causing further delays.
Supervised by Nazir Qidwai, Regional Director of the Provincial Ombudsman District Central, the park’s location near Momin Masjid and APWA School has been a point of contention. The park, originally reconstructed in the 1980s by Naat Khawan Aijaz Rahmani, fell into disrepair due to alleged negligence by the park administration in 1997.
The claimant highlights a pattern of negligence and mismanagement, citing that the park’s deterioration was exacerbated by the lack of timely intervention from financial authorities and security personnel. This “L”-shaped park, situated in front of APWA Secondary School and Momin Masjid, remains in a state of disrepair.
Adding to the frustration, the Regional Director of the Provincial Ombudsman District Central Sindh, Nazir Qidwai, and Transaction Officer Hassan Abbas, along with the claimant, were misled by former Director Park Central, Nadeem Hanif, regarding the status of the tender. An investigation revealed that the tender had indeed been approved by the Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (SPPRA), unbeknownst to Qidwai and the claimant.
The claimant has now appealed to the Chairman of the Provincial Ombudsman Sindh, Sohail Rajput, urging an investigation into the delays and mismanagement by the Regional Director District Central, Nazir Qidwai. This prolonged inaction has not only wasted the claimant’s time but also deprived the community of much-needed green space.
As the case drags on, residents of Sector 5E North Karachi continue to await the promised park, hoping for swift resolution and accountability from the responsible authorities.
