Historical Liaquat Bagh’s area getting further smaller

Historical Liaquat Bagh’s area getting further smaller
Two kenals land of Liaquat Bagh outsourced to a private entrepreneur for commercial purposes
Pak Chronicle Report
Liaquat Bagh, the iconic park of Rawalpindi which is a witness to the killings of two former premiers of Pakistan besides holding numerous other historical events into its fold is currently witnessing further shrinking of its area due to outsourcing a part of its land to a private entrepreneur for commercial purposes.
Two kenal land of Liaquat Bagh has been leased out to a private party by the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) Rawalpindi against Rs295,000/month via an agreement on a stamp paper.
The PHA entered into an agreement to lease out two kenals of land of the park for initially for five years with the provision to extend the agreement for five more years.
The PHA is doing this leasing out exercise to pay salaries of the staff at the cost of restricting public free excess.
Liaquat Bagh which was earlier known as Company Bagh was renamed after the first Prime Minister of Pakistan Liaquat Ali Khan after his martyrdom on the same place.
Liaquat Ali Khan on October 16, 1951 was shot twice in his chest at while he was addressing a massive gathering at Company Bagh which was later renamed on his name to give him honour.
Another former premier of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto on December 27, 2007 addressed a large gathering at the same venue and she was also shot dead by gunshots followed by suicide attack.
Both these events changed the political landscape of the country and left behind long-lasting impacts which still can be felt tremendously.
Liaquat Bagh is also a venue for holding political gatherings, and other gatherings of many sorts in intervals. The garrison city offers limited venues to hold as such gatherings due to massive population. Currently Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city of Pakistan in terms of population.
Meanwhile the PHA Rawalpindi has outsourced an area of two kenals of it to a private party for establishing ‘playing area’ for the children within the park. The purpose of the outsourcing land of Liaquat Bagh is to generate financial sources for payment of the salaries of the huge staff of the authority.
The total area of the park is estimated to be 51 kenals and it keeps shrinking due to various successful bids to occupy its land which is situated on the most prime location of the garrison city.
The PHA and Rehan Akmal, the private entrepreneur entered into an agreement on August 21, 2024, the copy of the letter is available with the scribe, to lease out two kenals land of the park for commercial usage against Rs295,000 per month rent. This agreement is initially meant for five years which is extendable to 10 years with mutual consent with 10% increase on annual basis. The next year near rent of it will be Rs324,500/month.
The rent will continue to grow by 10% with the passage of every year, if the contract is mutually extended. The contractor is supposed install motion rides in the allotted land. This is pertinent to mention here that the rent of a small shop having a few feet area in any shopping mall in the nearby commercial area is very exorbitant and beyond imagination of any common citizen.
Currently, the contractor has fenced out the allotted area by placing fence on it and a permanent building has also been constructed on it as well.
While responding to the queries of the scribe, the DG PHA, Ahmad Hasan Ranjha stated that the act of PHA allows the authority to make commercial use of its area to generate financial resources for it.
He said the area in question has been leased out to pay the salaries of PHA’s staff. While responding to the permanent construction by the contractor on the site he said the contractor is doing so for making a building for the powerhouse and for constructing washrooms. “Let’s suppose we decide to construct a cafe tomorrow on the site and naturally there would need of some construction for it,” he maintained. He said the authority is outsourcing its area to pay the salaries of its hundreds of employees, mostly the gardeners and security guards.
Waqas Ahmad Abbasi, Deputy Director Marketing, PHA told this scribe that annual salary of the staff of PHA is Rs570 million while the government releases only Rs390 million for this purpose. “The PHA is responsible itself to bridge Rs180 million gap and keep in your mind this amount is meant only to pay the salaries of the staff. The electricity bills, gardening the plants, plantation campaigns etc aren’t included in it,” Abbasi maintained.
Years ago, the provincial government of Punjab had allotted a major chunk of land of the park for the construction of office for Punjab Police. Likewise, some other parties also occupied the land of the park on one pretext or the other which eventually has been restricting the public movement on the spot.
Liaquat Bagh isn’t just a spot for recreational purpose but it carries with it a 200 years old history which dates back to the East India Company. In fact, its previous name Company Bagh is derived from the East India Company which had established it for the fulfilment of several purposes.
The soldiers of East India Company used to hold parade over here. It got fame and earned name Company Bagh due East India Company.
In 1814, Ranjit Singh, the Sikh emperor included Rawalpindi into his kingdom. In 1849 Sikh generals Chitar Singh and Shair Singh were defeated by the British forces and they surrendered before them in Rawalpindi.
In 1851 Lord Dalhousie made Rawalpindi the base of 53 Regiment of Northern Command and established military garrison on the GT Road in Rawalpindi.
A road was constructed to link the city with the military garrison and the forces started drills in a garden, on the Murree Road near wooden bridge which was constructed over Nala Lai.
Due to parade of armed forces of the East India Company over here the local started calling this garden as Company Bagh.
The park witnessed a lot of disturbances after the War of Independence in 1857. In 1858 after overcoming mutiny, the government of India was taken over by the British Government from the East India Company.
In 1850 the renowned poet of Punjabi Ahmad Ali Siyyan made this garden as his sitting place which continued as his ‘Maskan’ or sitting place for several years. Several his contemporary poets used to pay him visit on this place.
In 1920 Ustad Abdul Ghani established a wrestling place for wrestlers in the same garden. This wrestling arena still exists over here which is known as ‘Dad Pahlwan da Ukhara.’
A club named as Cosmopolitan was also part of it during same period where games like volleyball and cricket were played.
In 1936 founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah addressed a public gathering in the ground of Islamia High School which was situated in front of the Company Bagh.
Renowned leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lala Lajpat Rai, Maulana Azad, Dr Kachlo, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan and many other renowned political leaders addressed the mass gatherings over on the same venue.
In 1947 this place served a shelter for many people during riots which had erupted after partition of India.
After inception of Pakistan a lot of festivals used to take place over especially the festivals related with Eids.
It has also been a major place for poetic sittings besides serving as concert place for musicians and singers. It was also hub of political activities after the inception of Pakistan.
Its dynamics have changed a bit when during the regime of General Ayub, it was turned into bus terminal. Intercity transport used to operate from this place.
During General Zia’s period it was reconstructed and the building of local press club was also constructed on a part of it.
It turned into ruins when a dumping ground was established over here in 2004 after the construction of Committee Chowk’s underpass.
In 2005, Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) reconstructed and rehabilitated it. A, mosque was also constructed alongside it which is known as Sunhiri Masjid.
There are old pine trees, Talhi trees and variety of other trees which enhance the beauty of the garden. There is a tree named as Sumbal which is stated to be more than century old. Its trunk presents a marvellous look to the observers which is spanning over vast area of the land.
This tree is also hosting nest boxes for birds which has been arranged by the PHA Rawalpindi. Birds lay eggs in these nests during season and the chicks fly for their new destinations when they grow up.
Ends