Liaquat Bagh off limits to citizens

Closure of historic landmark causes inconvenience to residents and visitors alike

RAWALPINDI:

Liaquat Bagh – Rawalpindi’s 500-year-old historic landmark – which has been under strict lockdown since February 7, ahead of the general elections over security concerns, remains sealed even after passing 10 days.

According to sources, access to the historic site has been entirely restricted, with no entry permitted for citizens. The premises, housing the offices of Returning Officers for two constituencies within the office of the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) and adjacent Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) office, prompted the district administration to seal off Liaquat Bagh and RDA Road due to security risks.

The park’s closure has disrupted the usual flow of visitors, turning the area into a restricted zone, including for those seeking services from law enforcement and emergency responders at Rescue 15.

The stringent police presence at the Liaquat Bagh entrance towards Rescue 15 has made it challenging for hundreds of citizens to access necessary documents. Additionally, the closure extends to a local wrestling arena, denying access even to young wrestlers.

Numerous government offices along the same route, such as the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), PHA, Wasa, Rawalpindi Press Club, and Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC), have also been affected by the road closures, inconveniencing hundreds of daily visitors.

Read: PTI’s request to hold rally at Liaquat Bagh rejected

The closure has left approximately 4,000 daily visitors, including families and students from Gordon College, unable to engage in recreational activities like jogging and sightseeing. Even citizens from colder regions like Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who frequented Liaquat Bagh for sunbathing and historical exploration, find themselves barred from entry.

Despite the inconvenience faced by citizens, the offices of the Returning Officers remain operational round the clock, attracting unidentified individuals and vehicles, raising concerns among the populace.

There is a growing demand for the immediate reopening of Liaquat Bagh, which has lost its charm due to the extended closure, impacting essential services like plant watering by PHA staff and creating difficulties for worshippers at the Liaquat Bagh Park mosque. In response, official sources cite the park’s closure as necessary until election objections are resolved. As the impasse persists, citizens hope for a swift resolution to restore access to this cherished historical site.

Historical background

The expansive Liaquat Bagh at the centre of the garrison city has a long and majestic history that dates back to settlements long before Rawalpindi was established around 500 years ago.

Once upon a time, it was part of a dense forest where the Indo-Aryans, pastoralists who migrated from Central Asia, were among the earliest settlers. They chose the area adjacent to Liaquat Bagh due to a clear stream of flowing water, which we know today as Nullah Leh. It exists to this date and is known as the ‘Arya Mohalla’.

From 1880 to 1947, Hindu families cremated their dead here with the ashes scattered in the stream and also performed purification rituals in it. Hindu and Sikh women would also wash household utensils and clothes in the water channel which was also used by locals to take baths.

The dense forest of Liaquat Bagh also served as an ingress point for Afghan invaders whenever they attacked the subcontinent. Their troop would be stationed in the forest with soldiers also making use of the stream.

It also served as a location for political rallies and public meetings in the wake of the failed attempt to expel the British from India in 1857.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 17^th 2024.