SIALKOT, April 6: The district government has announced that the Khayaban-i-Iqbal Park at Sialkot Cantonment will be privatised and handed over to a private contractor to improve recreational facilities.

District Nazim Muhammad Akmal Cheema told newsmen on Thursday that the decision had been taken after failure of the Sialkot forest department in improving the facilities.

He said the previous Sialkot district government claimed to have spent Rs12.6 million (according to official documents) on the betterment of the park, but there was no visible development.