Restoration of Liaquat Bagh ordered

Construction of Benazir Bhutto monument part of project

RAWALPINDI:

Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Noor ul Amin Mengal has directed the authorities concerned to renovate the historic Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi city.

According to a district administration spokesman, the Commissioner during a visit to Liaquat Bagh had directed Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) Rawalpindi Director General (DG) Xenia Humayun to utilise all available resources to renovate the historic park and complete the project within the shortest possible time frame.

He instructed the DG PHA to renovate the platform of Liaquat Bagh using Chakwal stone, repaint the boundary wall and connect the adjoining mosque to the park.

The Commissioner also called for the formulation a plan for the beautification of Liaquat Bagh and swift release of funds as soon as possible to complete the project in record time.

The DG PHA briefed the commissioner about different ongoing projects of PHA and said that all-out efforts would be made to complete the Liaquat Bagh project as soon as possible.

It would be pertinent to mention here that the Rawalpindi administration has decided to build a monument in the Liaquat Bagh at the exact place where former prime minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto was assassinated 15 years ago.

It was decided in a meeting, chaired by Mengal, held at the Municipal Corporation Rawalpindi last week.

Since her assassination, despite repeated announcements and project's approval, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had failed to construct the monument and a memorial library at the site of the tragedy. Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated on December 27, 2007 after addressing an election campaign rally at Liaquat Bagh.

However, despite the formation of PPP government in the federation and Sindh province in the 2008 elections, her memorial could not be erected at the place of her assassination.

Now that the PPP is in the centre and the Punjab coalition government and the PPP has its own government in Sindh, the Punjab government has taken an important decision to build a memorial.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2022.