RAWALPINDI, Sept 6: Garrison authorities might lose control over cash-generating Jinnah Park as Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has endorsed the plea of Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) seeking administrative control of the park.

Jinnah Park has been a bone of contention between the army’s 10-Corps and city authorities (RDA) as the former has been hesitating to hand over the park to city administration, despite the expiry of agreement.

The RDA handed over the park to 10 Corps in 2004 under an agreement in which the garrison authorities were to build the park and then hand it over to the civilian administration in 2008.

The RDA had also paid Rs115 million as its share of the cost of the park’s development.

Commissioner Rawalpindi Imdadullah Bosal and the district coordination officer (DCO) Saqib Zaffar have held several meetings with officials of 10 Corps on the directive of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in order to reach a conclusion and hand over the park to RDA.

“The chief minister has decided in favour of RDA for getting control of the park. We had put a summary in CM Secretariat in this regard,” Director General RDA Chaudhry Naseer Ahmed told Dawn on Thursday.

However, source observed that the military authorities would not pay heed even to the decision of chief minister adding that garrison authorities would not surrender control of the money-making public park.

Jinnah Park was developed on a portion of the old Rawalpindi district jail that was established in 1882 on 674 kanals and 18 marlas.

In 1995, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) was tasked for the first time to develop the park at a cost of Rs214 million but the project could not be completed.

Official sources said RDA had requested the garrison authorities many times for handing over of the park. However, military authorities turned down the request saying the park was located in a high security zone and along a VVIP route.

Since 2006, the garrison administration has leased out commercial places in the park for 19 and 30 years.

The commercial sites, including a five-screen cinema (Cinepax), a multinational food chain outlet (McDonalds), restaurants, parking contract, coffee bar and other fast-food shops fetch about Rs1.98 million per month.

“We have developed this park and spent millions of money on its renovation. I don’t think civilian administration would maintain it,” Mohammad Wajahat, administrator of Jinnah Park told this reporter when asked whether the garrison authorities would hand over the park or not.

“Let us see what happens. At the moment I am not in position to tell you the future administrator of Jinnah Park,” Mr Wajahat said and disconnected the call.