The historical Liaquat Bagh Park, once the choice spot of the residents of Rawalpindi and its suburbs for spending quality time with their children, now seems like a wasteland due to its rundown condition. The jogging tracks of the park are broken, while the administration plays the role of the silent spectator.
Huge puddles of standing rain water can be seen in the park, while the plantation sports a forlorn look due to a lack of care.
The Liaquat National Bagh Park, usually just referred to as Liaquat Bagh, is a famous park on Murree Road in the city of Rawalpindi. The park was formerly known as Municipal Park, but was renamed “Liaquat National Bagh (Park)” after the assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan there in 1951. It came to be known as a place for political gatherings and speeches.
Former prime minister and chairperson Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Benazir Bhutto was assassinated on December 27, 2007 while leaving an election rally at the park.
Talking to Pakistan Today on Wednesday, visitors to the park complained that the dilapidated conditions and depleted jogging tracks were an inconvenience for them.
They said there was no proper system for irrigation, due to which the plants were losing their lustre and charm. They added that the lack of a proper drainage system led to rain water regularly flooding the park and aggravated the situation by leading to further damage to the jogging tracks.
Visitors have demanded the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) director general take notice of the poor conditions of Liaquat Bagh, and to approve funds for the renovation of the park and for the reconstruction of the broken jogging tracks.
A visitor, Rajab Khan, said the broken seats, lights and bins, lack of proper toilets and facility for drinking water in the park presented a poor picture of the park.
He said the vegetation in the park had withered because of lack of proper watering and care. “The overall condition of recreational spots in the city speaks volumes about apathy of the city administration, as no attention is being paid to the maintenance of these public parks,” he added.
Riaz Ali, another visitor to the park said Rawalpindi was lagging behind in recreational facilities as compared to Islamabad.
He said a majority of parks in Rawalpindi were not maintained properly. “How can we visit these parks when there are no proper seating arrangements, no toilets and no arrangements for drinking water,” he added.
He said plants, flowers and grass were not properly maintained as the officers of the tehsil municipal administration (TMA) did not bother visiting the park to see their condition. He demanded the concerned authorities approve funds for the renovation of the park as it was losing its beauty and charm.
Muhammad Ali, a resident of Liaquat Bagh area told Pakistan Today that few people visited the park due to its dilapidated condition. He said the residents of Rawalpindi were facing an acute shortage of parks and other recreational facilities.
