By Aziz Khatri
KARACHI: Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab inaugurated the renovated KMC Sports Complex in Landhi Town, saying the facility would give young people and families access to modern sports and recreational facilities in their own neighborhood.
Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah Murad, Pakistan Peoples Party parliamentary leader in the City Council Karamullah Waqasi, elected representatives and a large number of residents attended the inauguration.
Wahab said the complex had been equipped for a range of indoor and outdoor sports, including martial arts, while a swimming pool would also be available to the public. He said the facility would provide children and young people with a better environment to develop their sporting skills and take part in healthy activities.
The mayor said sports could help young people develop discipline, teamwork and a competitive spirit, while providing a constructive way to use their time and abilities.
He said the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation was working to improve sports infrastructure in different parts of the city and regarded access to quality recreational facilities as an important priority. Wahab also stressed that public spaces should be accessible to all sections of society, including low-income and middle-class families.
Not everyone could afford expensive restaurants or private clubs, he said, adding that ordinary citizens had an equal right to benefit from public recreational facilities. Residents of Landhi, Shah Faisal, Korangi and Malir should have greater access to such spaces, he said.
The mayor also announced that the KMC had begun work on 26 of about 155 roads planned across Karachi, while the tendering process for additional roads had been completed. He thanked the Sindh chief minister and the provincial local government minister for their cooperation in the development projects.
Wahab said public facilities should be developed in a way that allowed boys, girls, women, families and other residents to use them in a safe and welcoming environment.
He said Karachi was a diverse city and civic facilities should be available to people across its different neighborhoods and social groups. Expanding access to public spaces, he added, could help reduce a sense of deprivation and strengthen residents’ connection with the city.
The mayor said the city government would continue working to make public spaces more active and accessible and bring better civic, recreational and sports facilities closer to residents.
