Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on Friday barred entry of non-residents inside the Nisar Shaheed Park located in the locality’s Phase IV.
In a tweet from its official Twitter account, the DHA issued a number of procedures for entrance into the park, saying that they were aimed at ensuring a “smooth and enjoyable experience for all visitors”.
The entry guidelines listed by the authority said residents could only visit the park with their family members while individual entry was not permitted.
“Residents of DHA who wish to visit the park for a walk must be appropriately dressed in a sports kit, or at the very least, joggers paired with a shalwar kameez or pant shirt,” the DHA said.
It added that the entry of non-residents into the park was not allowed “with or without family”.
It must be noted that Nisar Shaheed Park is managed by the DHA.
When Dawn.com reached out to the DHA spokesperson Farrukh Rizvi for further details, he briefly replied that the decision was taken “in the best interest of the society’s residents”.
“Rest [of the] details will follow,” he added.
The DHA spokesperson also did not specify how the authority planned to filter residents from non-residents.
Mohammad Naveed, a resident of Karachi’s Saddar, objected to the authority’s decision. “I often used to take my children to the park on weekends. Why is the park suddenly being closed only for us? Are we any less of Pakistan’s citizens?” he asked.
Meanwhile, a lawyer Dawn.com talked to, who wished not to be named, said access to any public space could not be restricted and questioned how the authority planned on stopping non-residents from entering the park.
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