Why such a low rent for a parking lot?

Low rent

This is with reference to the news item "Minister justifies renting parking lot to eatery" (DAWN Metropolitan, February 12). The Sindh minister for local bodies said that the parking lot had been rented out for only Rs. 2,000 per month to supplement the income of Saddar Town.

Considering that the restaurant's owner earns much more than Rs. 2,000 every day, I think he should have to pay more than this amount per month as rent.

In any event, I wonder who decided that Rs. 2,000 per month is an adequate rent for this valuable property. Was the parking lot allotted to the highest bidder? Or was the whole thing done to favour someone?

Shakir Lakhani
Clifton, Karachi
Published in DAWN Metropolitan, March 11, 2013