Islamabad: Parliamentary Secretary on Interior Shaukat Ali on Thursday announced that the Lake View Park, also popularly known as the Rawal Dam Park, is set to be reopened after a closure of six years — a news source reported. As per the publication, the park had originally been closed in 2013 due to security concerns and is expected to be opened to the public within a month’s time.
The parliamentary secretary made this announcement during a session of the National Assembly. He revealed that the decision to reopen the park had been made in response to a ‘Call to Attention’ notice regarding the closure that had been moved by Member National Assembly (MNAs) Nafeesa Inayatullah Khan Khattak and Ali Nawaz Awan.
He added that, while the park fell within the limits of Islamabad, it was actually under the control of the Punjab government. He stated that the he would take up the matter with the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Punjab Irrigation Department Secretary, and Inspector General (IG) of Islamabad Police.
Additionally, MNA Khattak requested that the Hindu temple next to the park should also be made a part of the renovation work being conducted on the site. In response, Ali assured that the authorities concerned would renovate the temple at the same time as the park.
The Lake View Park’s closure has been a cause for concern because it had been a popular picnic spot for locals and visitors from other cities. In addition, the temple was also the local Hindu community’s only place to worship as there were no other temples in the capital — requiring the community to visit Krishna Mandir in Saddar, Rawalpindi to fulfill their religious obligations.
