LAHORE: The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) has asked the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to pay Rs 29.380 million for the damages that were caused by a PTI public gathering held at Greater Iqbal Park on March 25.
As per a letter written to the PTI Lahore President Sheikh Imtiaz Mahmood, the PHA said that the PTI was permitted to hold a political gathering due to which historic horticulture work was severely damaged. It claimed that the PTI brought heavy-duty vehicles, cranes and containers inside the Greater Iqbal Park that damaged the surrounding structures, including damaged security boundary fence of Minar Monument, huge plantation, tuff tiles, light poles, walkthrough gates, dustbins, wooden benches, direction signage, hydrants, CCTV cameras, marble tiles, mural wall fiber sheets, entry and exit gates, razor wire, barbed wire, LED lights and book monument structure. It pointed out that visitors, protestors and agitators also contributed to the damages and thus the PHA had to face huge financial losses.
It disclosed that when a PTI political gathering was held on April 21 last year in which a large number of people had gathered at the same place, we saw similar damages caused by the participants and the PHA had to bear a huge loss of Rs 4.069 million. “Now, again the PTI’s March 25 caused damages to the tune of Rs 29.380 million,” it added. Hence, the PHA requested the PTI to pay damages immediately.
In response, PTI Lahore President Sheikh Imtiaz wrote to the PHA that the allegations raised in the letter would have been more evident if the evidence in the form of CCTV footage were shared with them. Hence, he asked them to share the evidence, which should include pre and post-damage situations as well. “The PTI Lahore would go one step further by inviting you to visit the damaged spots mentioned by you on March 29. The PHA should share the evidence and confirmation of the visit by March 28; in case no response from the above evidence, allegations would be considered null and void,” he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023