Rawalpindi’s only multi-storey parking plaza at Fawara Chowk has remained closed for nearly three weeks, even though the legal dispute between the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) and its former contractor has come to an end.
The plaza closed on July 12 after the RDA terminated the contractor’s lease over unpaid rent and sealed the facility. While the courts have since disposed of the contractor’s final contempt-of-court petition, the authority has yet to resume parking operations.
Sources said the dispute began after the contractor failed to pay rent for seven months. In an attempt to settle the matter, the contractor offered to deposit around Rs. 15 million with the RDA’s Estate Management Department. The department rejected the offer and instead demanded Rs. 48.2 million, including surcharges.
Although the court proceedings have ended, the RDA has neither recovered the outstanding amount nor reopened the parking plaza under its own management. Instead, officials have started looking for a new contractor to operate the facility. However, they have not announced when the parking plaza will reopen.
The continued closure has increased parking problems around Fawara Chowk, one of Rawalpindi’s busiest commercial hubs. The facility accommodates more than 700 vehicles and motorcycles, and its closure has forced motorists to search for parking elsewhere while worsening traffic congestion in the surrounding area.
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