The Sindh government has launched a Rs 299.819 million scheme to upgrade and reconstruct the Karachi Zoological garden. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that there were a lot of complaints against Karachi Zoological garden, therefore he decided to visit it personally to witness its plight. Thi,s he said, while talking to media persons during his visit to Karachi Zoological garden on Wednesday. He was accompanied by Local government Minister Jam Khan Shoro and was received by Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar, senior officers of the provincial government and KMC.
He said he was visiting Karachi Zoo after 42 years. Recalling his childhood, the chief minister said that he along with his sisters and brother used to visit Karachi zoo with his father. He said that there were a lot of complaints he had received against zoo management which include lack of facilities for visitors, encroachments around the garden, poor conditions in which animals have been kept and such others. "I am going around to personally witnessing overall the conditions at zoo and its cages," he said. He vowed to make Karachi zoo one of the best places to visit.
He admitted that the conditions were not so good but "I have included the up-gradation of the zoo in the scheme launched under Karachi package," he said and added that Architect Samar Ali Khan, MPA, and some other friends are working with the government to make Karachi Zoo a most beautiful place for children to visit and enjoy its atmosphere. Syed Murad Ali Shah said that he was against the tradition of keeping animals in the cages. "I have a plan under which the animals and birds would be kept in a free atmosphere so that they could enjoy their life apart from giving knowledge of their attitudes, behaviour to the visitors. Additional Chief Secretary (Dev) Mohammad Waseem briefing the chief minister said the Finance department has released Rs 150 million for up-gradation of the zoo.