Thread by @OonibAzam_

on the watch of three political parties, PPP, MQM and Jamaat-e-Islami, the Aladin Shopping Mall and Pavilion End Club continued to function without any hindrance over the amenity plot at the main Rashid Minhas Road.

thenews.com.pk/print/850283-v…

The News investigated how the illegality was allowed by the KMC mayors and the provincial governments and the management of the park.

An agreement, according to KMC’s Director Culture, Sports and Recreation Saif Abbas was signed between AA Joy Land Private Limited and KMC on May 30, 1995 for a period of 25 years, when KMC’s administrator was Fahim Zaman.

According to the agreement, the 52 acres land of Safari Park area facing Rashid Minhas Road was leased for the development of amusement park on the pattern of Disney Land.

Abbas explained how according to the agreement the AA Joy Land Private Limited was allowed to conduct five-percent commercial activities. Later, the agreement was revised and sublease of certain portion of the land was allowed for 25 years.

One of the retired officials of KMC confirmed to The News that the agreement was revised during the tenure of JI’s mayor late Naimatullah Khan from 2001 to 2005.

A sublease of shops was allowed, besides the Pavilion End Club was allowed to be established against the original master plan of the amusement park submitted to the KMC in the year 1995.

Talking to a private news channel on Tuesday night, Zaman stressed how the agreement was revised under the JI’s watch.

According to the agreement not more than 34 percent area shall be covered under building structures and rest 65-percent has to be kept open. “Not more than five-percent of the total area shall be under commercial purposes like gift shops, snack bars, etc.

This five-percent is included in the 34 percent covered area,” the agreement said. The copy of the agreement also clearly mentions that the corporation has the right to suggest changes, amendments in the plan of the amusement park.

This five-percent is included in the 34 percent covered area,” the agreement said. The copy of the agreement also clearly mentions that the corporation has the right to suggest changes, amendments in the plan of the amusement park.

Talking to The News, advocate @zubair1878 shared how the KMC cannot allow the establishment of clubs and shopping malls on amenity plots and there could never be any sublease in this regard.

It is pertinent to mention here that after 1995, MQM’s Waseem Akhtar remained minister of local government in the year 1997 and revised the agreement to give permission for the sublease of shops.

The JI’s late Naimatullah Khan severed as mayor from 2001 to 2005 and renewed the agreement. Then MQM’s mayor and now Pak Sarzameen Party’s chief Mustafa Kamal remained mayor of the city for five years. Akhtar then again became the mayor of the city in 2016.

The PPP has been in power in the province since 2009. But none took action against the commercial activities in the 54-acre amenity plot reserved for park, in fact, they strengthened it.

When The News tried to reach Kamal and Akhtar for their comments, both did not respond to the repeated phone calls by The News.