A growing public concern has taken root of unjustified charged parking in Allama Iqbal Town, Lahore, affecting thousands of residents. For the past month, a parking contractor has been charging Rs100 per vehicle for parking outside the boundary wall of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, specifically along Gulshan-e-Iqbal Road.
This roadside area has always been free for visitors, particularly joggers and residents. The sudden imposition of such a fee — without proper signage, authorization, or visible enforcement—appears arbitrary and exploitative.
What makes this especially troubling is that the entry fee to the park itself has been removed following court directives, yet a much higher parking fee is now being charged, even when vehicles are parked outside the park premises. This contradicts both the spirit and the intent of making parks more accessible to the public and discourages citizens from engaging in healthy activities. The authorities should investigate this matter, and residents of the area should speak about the issue so that it can be promptly addressed.
SYED ZULFIQAR ALI
LAHORE
