Dinosaur models yet to be reinstalled at Ankara Park

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

ISLAMABAD - Ramiz Masoud, a regular visitor to the Ankara Park, badly misses the models of dinosaurs that had been erected there by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), only to be removed later on for some ‘safety reasons’. But despite a lapse of around seventeen months, these models are yet to be returned to their earlier location at the park.
In May 2010, the CDA had removed these models from the Ankara Park situated along the Murree Road near Rawal Lake citing the need of a safety wall around these models. The authority then said it would only take a few days and the models would be back in the park, but it never happened till date.
Ramiz, while talking to Pakistan Today, said the high-ups of the CDA, who were only focussed on initiating multi-billions housing projects, should pay attention to that issue. He said those models really added to the scenic beauty of the park, which is used by hundreds of citizens daily. He said the installation of replicas of dinosaurs was something novel for the people and they were exited to see them there. “But that excitement lasted for only four days,” he lamented
Presently, the huge dinosaur replicas worth Rs 93 million are lying dumped somewhere, thanks to the CDA, which seems little interested in doing something for the public’s entertainment. The unique Chinese-made fibreglass models of dinosaurs were an attraction for the visitors, especially for children, but to their dismay the CDA removed them after just four days of the installation.
“It was utter non-sense of the civic agency officials to remove the gigantic models under the pretext of building walls around them. The walls could have been built before their installation,” said Muhammad Younis another visitor to the Ankara Park. Talking to Pakistan Today visitors expressed utter disappointment over the removal and then long delay in the reinstallation of the models.
Shoukat Hussain, who came to the park along with his family, said: “I’m convinced about the safety measures taken for the models but they definitely should not so long a time.”
He said the CDA had enough money and time to initiate multi-billion housing projects but it was not interested in reinstalling those mock dinosaurs, which he said won’t cost much.
Hussain said people should be fined for damaging public property including those replicas but there was no justification to remove them altogether. The Ankara Park spreading over 23 acres of land is a symbol of friendship between Pakistan and Turkey. It has been dedicated to Islamabad’s sister city Ankara in 2005 and a plaque was unveiled by Melih Gokeek, the then mayor of Ankara in 2005.
Once this park was frequented by a lot of visitors but the apathy of the CDA has rendered it unkempt and hence less visited.
Talking to Pakistan Today the visitors appealed to CDA chairman to pay special attention towards the park in general and reinstallation of replicas of dinosaurs in particular.
A CDA spokesperson Ramzan Sajid, when contacted, said that PC-I for the development of Ankara Park had been approved, which include building of safety walls and fence and reinstallation of dinosaurs models. To a query, he said that CDA was compelled to remove costly models since some of the visitors particularly children were damaging them by pelting stones.