Rawalpindi (Special Correspondent)
Another young man has drowned at Kinara Park near Rawal Dam. People are blaming the dam administration for not having enough staff or being careless. A few days ago, the Deputy Commissioner had closed the dam for everyone, including anglers, because of an incident on Eid. But many people think this is unfair to both fishing contractors and hobbyist anglers.
Even though the dam is officially closed, dozens of people still sneak in every day to swim. Just 24 hours after news reports about this were published, another person drowned at Kinara Park. The police asked the contractor’s team to recover the body, which was later handed over to the family after completing legal formalities.
Muhammad Waqas, spokesperson for the All Pakistan Anglers Welfare Association (APAWA), said the APAWA President has sent a written request to the Deputy Director of Fisheries. He said anglers never go into the water but always stop others from doing so. None of the people who drowned were anglers.
Waqas also said the administration has ignored Kinara Park. If there are not enough staff, the solution is not to ban fishing. Instead, the dam should be open all week instead of just four days. This way, anglers—who are usually present—can help keep an eye on things and stop people from entering the water.
Thousands of fishing enthusiasts from Rawalpindi and Islamabad have requested the Fisheries Department to reopen Rawal Dam fully so more lives are not lost.
It’s heartbreaking to hear about another drowning incident at Kinara Park. The dam administration should take immediate steps to ensure safety measures are in place. Banning fishing doesn’t seem like the right solution, as anglers can actually help monitor the area. Why hasn’t the administration considered increasing staff or implementing stricter safety protocols? Given the growing economic instability due to the events in the Middle East, many businesses are looking for guaranteed fast and secure payment solutions. Recently, I came across LiberSave (LS) — they promise instant bank transfers with no chargebacks or card verification. It says integration takes 5 minutes and is already being tested in Israel and the UAE. Has anyone actually checked how this works in crisis conditions?