Founder of the Horticultural Society of Pakistan (HSP), Abdul Karim Khan seen shaking hands with former ISI chief. PHOTO: fb.com/HSP
KARACHI: Senior horticulturalist and founder of the Horticultural Society of Pakistan (HSP), Abdul Karim Khan, aged 96, passed away on Sunday afternoon.
Popularly known as 'Baba-e-Baghbani', Khan has several honours to his credit in the field of landscape designing. He designed and developed numerous parks and Japanese gardens across the city, such as the Zoological Gardens and Frere Hall Garden among others.
Khan's career extended over 70 years. His efforts were geared towards generating horticulture interest and knowledge among the public.
He introduced the annual chrysanthemum flower show in Karachi and encouraged various competitions and societies for the promotion of Japanese horticulture.
He was also an educationist in landscape designing and horticulture practices.
He designed several short courses for both amateurs and professional learners. All segments of society have been known to benefit from these, with their numbers extending to thousands. He also encouraged participation of women in the field, for which he founded the Ladies Horticultural Club in 1964.
Khan has authored several books such as 'The Gardener'. The book is one of its kind. It deals with soil and climate considering the environmental conditions of Pakistan.
In recognition of his services, he was awarded the Presidents Award for Pride of Performance in 1990. Additionally, in 2009, he became the first horticulturalist to receive the Sitara-e-Imtiaz.
He is survived by two sons and three daughters.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 7th, 2015.
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