The Times of Karachi (ToK) played its role in getting an abandoned park in Karachi’s North Nazimabad area revived to it’s glory on Tuesday.

Morning-show-famed Shaista Lodhi came across a post of ToK on social media regarding miserable condition of Khawateen Park, commonly known as Rani [princes] Park, in North Nazimabad’s Block H. The park turned out to be in the area where she had spent most of her childhood.

The park was not only in sorry state, but had all entrances clogged with heap of garbage and swings rusted.

Rani Park in Block H, North Nazimabad set for restoration tomorrow.@IamShaistaLodhi @MRehanHashmi #LetsRestoreParks #RaniPark pic.twitter.com/FkQ99nUQPn

— The Times of Karachi (@TOKCityOfLights) September 16, 2019

Last month humanitarian and wife of cricketer Wasim Akram, Shaniera Akram made her efforts to clean Karachi’s Sea View from biohazardous waste
The 37-year old wife of cricket legend Wasim Akram tweeted about medical waste present at Sea View which prompted not only the Sindh government but CBC to take immediate action.

Similarly after coming across ToK’s post Lodhi tweeted that “This place is close to my heart as I have lived most parts of my life there. It’s disturbing to see it being neglected, to say the least.” She also requested relevant authorities to revamp the park and ensure provision of other basic civic amenities in her tweet.

I’d like to appreciate the phenomenal work of Times of Karachi in highlighting the municipal issues of our city. It's great to see citizen journalism being the voice for the voiceless. I got to know about the Rani park bc of TOK and took the plunge to restore park. Good Job TOK. https://t.co/rvUljmhNqy

— Dr. Shaista Lodhi (@IamShaistaLodhi) September 17, 2019

Her appeal was addressed by District Municipal Corporation (DMC) central’s elected chairman Rehan Hashmi. In a response to her tweet Hashmi assured to do whatever he could in his meager resources. “Let’s make sustainable symbolic model,” he said.

In a video statement after Hashmi’s tweet, Lodhi invited all the residents to join them in restoring the Raani Park to its past glory. “This park is close to my heart, because I spent 13 years of my life near it,” she recalled and added that now it was in extreme bad shape that no Raani [princes] would want to walk there. She said that she remembers how house wives along with their children used to stroll in the park in evening back then.

On Tuesday morning the former morning show host and the district’s chairman reached the park and carried out cleaning work. Lodhi painted swings, planted a tree and drove a tractor to get rid of garbage present inside the park.

Rani Park gets new life, courtesy to @IamShaistaLodhi & Chairman District Central @MRehanHashmi.

This should be the first step in restoring all parks and public places, where citizens should also take ownership.@ImranKhanPTI @MuradAliShahPPP @wasimakhtar1955 #LetsRestoreParks pic.twitter.com/CeIkMK9q2a

— The Times of Karachi (@TOKCityOfLights) September 17, 2019

Talking to the ToK she said that she could’ve complained on social media regarding the miserable state of park, “But I thought I should play a role.”
She appreciated ToK and said that with their video on social media she was compelled to do something. “When I saw the video I realized that I had lived in block H of Nazimabad and had done nothing for the area, she said and added that she could’ve just complained on social media but she decided to do something in real.
Lodhi also applauded how Shaniera played her role in cleaning the Sea View. “We [celebrities] are blessed that people [authorities] listen to our voices, we should use it positively,” she said.

Hashmi, meanwhile, also thanked ToK for highlighting the issue. He narrated how helpless he is because of lack of funds and resources. “We make our best efforts to uplift the parks, but in current resources from Sindh government we cannot do that,” he said and emphasized on forming mohalla committees to address such issues.
The city, he said doesn’t have ownership. He pledged to replicate such efforts in future, so that the residents also start owning the city.

ToK not only highlights the bad parts of the city but plays its role, wherever it can, in making things better.