RAWALPINDI: Nestled in the heart of Rawalpindi—a city famous for its rich Buddhist, Hindu, and Sikh heritage—lies the Liaquat Bagh, a living witness to events that have shaped Pakistan’s history since its very creation.
Established in the 1850s by the British East India Company – from which it derived its old name Company Bagh (the Company’s garden) – the historic landmark is renowned for its association with the assassinations of two prime ministers and its role as a gathering space for political, cultural, religious, and other recreational events.
A Solemn witness
The recreational space currently in shambles is steeped in history.
Its name honours Liaquat Ali Khan, the country’s first prime minister, who fell prey to an assassin’s bullet in 1951 while addressing a large public rally.
Roughly six decades later, Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan’s first female prime minister, was also tragically shot dead while exiting the park after addressing a political gathering in 2007.
The event shaped the country’s political landscape for the years to come, ending the nearly one-decade-long rule of late General (retd) Pervez Musharraf.
Beyond the tragedies that left an indelible mark on Pakistan’s political history, the park has hosted prominent figures such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, who addressed large gatherings here during the pre-independence era.
The park became a refuge for families fleeing communal riots during India’s violent partition by its British colonisers in 1947.
Beyond the tragedies that left an indelible mark on Pakistan’s political history, the park has hosted prominent figures such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, who addressed large gatherings here during the pre-independence era.
Despite having a remarkable legacy, the park now faces commercial greed.
A brief history of encroachment
Spanning over 51 kanals (approximately 6.4 acres), it has seen its prime land gradually diminish with governmental and non-governmental organisations establishing their offices encroaching upon its premises.
During President Ayub Khan’s administration, a major portion of Liaquat Bagh was allocated to house an inter-city bus terminal.
However, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s government shifted the bus terminal to Pirwadhai in 1974.
Unfortunately, the vacated land was not handed over to the PHA but rather taken over by Rawalpindi Waste Management Company.
Besides, in the 1980s the Rawalpindi Press Club was also accommodated on a portion of the vacated bus terminal.
A sizeable area was also allocated to Rawalpindi police.
Altogether, the park has lost a significant chunk of its area.
Spanning over 51 kanals (approximately 6.4 acres), it has seen its prime land gradually diminish with governmental and non-governmental organisations establishing their offices encroaching upon its premises.
A report published in daily the Express Tribune in August 2023 lends credence to the above-mentioned assertion.
Spanning over 51 kanals (approximately 6.4 acres), it has seen its prime land gradually diminish with governmental and non-governmental organisations establishing their offices encroaching upon its premises.
The report stated, “Back in the day, it had a capacity of 50,000 to 60,000 people,” adding that currently it can accommodate only around 7,000 people.
“Fresh onslaught”
The latest encroachment comes from the leasing of two kanals (around 1,000 square metres) to a private entrepreneur for Rs295,000 ($1,000) per month for five years.
The agreement, a copy of which is available with the WE News English, permits the construction of a recreational area for children, with the possibility of extending the lease for up to ten years.
While authorities argue that these steps are necessary to address financial shortfalls, critics warn that the commercialisation risks erasing the park’s historical and cultural significance.
The case for commercialisation
The commercialisation of Liaquat Bagh reflects a broader culture of gobbling up state land in Pakistan, infamously known as “China cutting”.
“China cutting” refers to the practice of slicing plots from parks and land earmarked for public amenities, and converting them into residential and commercial property that is sold off for huge profits.
Parks and Horticulture (PHA) officials argue that leasing parts of the park is a pragmatic solution to bridge budget deficits. PHA Director General Ahmad Hasan Ranjha justifies the lease, stating that the Parks and Horticulture Authority Act, 2012, allows the authority to use its area commercially to generate financial resources. While going through the Act, there is no explicit provision that allows the civic body to use places of historic significance like Liaqat Bagh to be used to generate financial resources, when PHA has many other public places at its disposal to serve this purpose.
The Parks and Horticulture Authority Act, 2012, allows the authority to use its area commercially to generate financial resources.” – Ahmad Hasan Ranjha, PHA director general
While responding to questions about construction inside the park, Ranjha says the contractor aims to build washrooms for visitors.
“The authority is outsourcing certain areas to pay the salaries of its hundreds of employees, mostly the gardeners and security guards,” he said.
Waqas Ahmad Abbasi, the Deputy Director of Marketing at PHA says the annual salary gap for their staff is Rs180 million, and they must generate revenue to cover this gap.
Resistance and backlash
However, local activist Ajmal Temori believes the purported solution is part of the problem.
“If motion rides are necessary, they can be installed at alternate locations,” he says.
Liaquat Bagh is irreplaceable—not just for its green space but for its 200-year-old legacy, he argues.
Ajmal Temori contends that this is not just a park—it’s a historical monument.
“Instead of preserving its legacy, we’re selling it piece by piece under the guise of financial necessity,” he added.
Temori also noted the park’s declining greenery, once dominated by pine trees, which have largely disappeared due to neglect. “The justification for the lease—that it helps pay staff salaries—is hollow when the staff has failed to maintain even basic horticulture,” he added.
The justification for the lease—that it helps pay staff salaries—is hollow when the staff has failed to maintain even basic horticulture. Instead of preserving Liaquat Bagh’s legacy, we’re selling it piece by piece under the guise of financial necessity.” – Ajmal Temori, local activist
Critics have also questioned the financial terms of the agreement, calling the rent a “pittance” for a prime location in the bustling city of Rawalpindi.
The garrison city with a population of over 3.3 million, as per by World Population Review, is already short of public parks and reducing the size of the existing public spaces would further add to its suffocating environment.
