Daily Times

The days were gone when joy of small kids was boundless while seeing colourful butterflies hovering over flowers and dense pipal trees in Wazir Bagh, Shahibagh gardens and Jinnah park where greenery started dying due to improper upkeeping and encroachment besides increased urbanization with scattered plastic bags undermining its beauty.

The chasing butterflies and hide and seek of small children among the seasonal flowers and thickly grown pipal trees used to be great fun and laughter but all these charms wore off as time passed by and today Wazirbagh and Shalmar gardens were giving almost a deserted look.

Riaz Khan, a former PST teacher and a resident of Pabbi Nowshera told APP on Thursday that it was heartening to see that Wazir Bagh had lost its pipal trees that were so thick that one would get the impression of night even during broad daylight of summer with children playing around their parents and guardians.

Marred by encroachment and plastic pollution, he said all the three Mughal era gardens in Peshawar City including Jinnah Park have started losing its original grandeur owing to long neglect and urbanization.

The beauty of the historical gardens of Shalimar, Wazirbagh and Jinnah Park, which were established during the Mughal era in the heart of Peshawar City, were badly affected due to long neglect by the authorities concerned, depriving Peshawarties of the much-needed recreational facilities after closures of several cinema houses for business.

The blossom roses, flowers and greenery for which Wazir Bagh, Shalimar Gardens and Jinnah Park (old Canningum park) were known, have started losing their charm with dirt everywhere.

Tourists and historical park lovers could be extremely disappointed to see the scattered plastic, garbage and dirt pollution at Wazir Bagh which was once known for lush greenery with an abundance of flowers and pipal trees besides seasonal flowers that once attracted visitors enjoying its soothing environment during hot weather.

Located at Yakatooth in the South of Peshawar City on vast land, Wazirbagh has been a great source of recreation for Peshawarties over centuries.

He said the oldest garden used to be a comfortable place for senior citizens while sitting under the cold shade of pipal trees in a soothing environment coupled with chirping of birds and exchanging views of their life experiences and day-to-day happenings.

Wazir Bagh was used for morning exercises by Peshawarites due to its awesome walking tracks, and lush green lawns and became a unique source of recreation and picnic spot.

“Today, it is disappointing to see missing chirping birds, colourful butterflies and ladybirds due to the vanishing of the canopy pipal trees at Wazir Bagh due to lacklustre approach of the local communities, past government, deforestation and improper upkeeping.”

“Since my childhood, I used to visit this historic park along with my father for exercise on its beautiful tracks snaking through its thickly grown tall pipal trees with people sitting around in sprawled lawns in its pleasant environment,” Haseeb Khan, a resident of Peshawar while talking to APP.

Recalling his memories, he said, tourists were highly impressed by its sprawled lawns, fountains, pods, apricots, peaches, pomegranate trees and colourful flowers.

Shinwaris, Afridis, Mohmands, Shalmani, Bangash, Bajauris and Khattaks besides domestic and foreign tourists used to come here in droves during summer to spend some time in a relaxed environment under its shady trees. It was also a great source of study for students of the nearby Government Superior Science College due to its conducive environment and for sports athletes.

“I came to my favourite garden after 30 years where I was disappointed to see the pathetic condition of its two vast lawns, fountains’ pool, dying greeny and withered pipal trees at Wazir Bagh,” Riaz said.

He urged the KP government to take cogent measures for its complete rehabilitation, planting of pipal trees and imposing complete ban on free movement of people inside the historic garden. Fixation of entry fee would help check the free movement of people besides closing its football ground to help protect its greenery from further degradation.

Wazir Bagh Garden was constructed in the 19th century when Prince Shah Mahmood Durrani sent his forces under the command of Sardar Fateh Muhammad Khan Barkzai alias Wazir against his cousin Shah Shuja, who was the ruler of Peshawar.

In 1810, Sardar Fateh Muhammed had toppled Shah Shuja rule and laid the foundation of the Wazir Bagh Garden. It has a Royal Durrani graveyard in its South and Tomb of Beejo Bibi, a Mistress of Shah Taimur son of Emperor Ahmad Shah Abdali nearby, which are attracting tourists and archaeology lovers.

Peshawar is one of the oldest cities of South Asia having about 3,000 years old civilization where international merchants of the subcontinent, Afghanistan and Central Asia stayed in its ancient Qissa Khwani bazaar at night and swapped tales of love, culture, art & architecture, music and each others’ traditions.

They also visited nearby Wazir Bagh, Jinnah Park and Shahi Bagh gardens before their departure to Afghanistan and onward to Central Asian Republics through the historic Khyber Pass.

British diplomat Sir Alexander Burnes had a special love for Wazir Bagh by visiting it in 1832 and resting there. He was highly impressed by its breathtaking natural beauty and lush green lawns.

He said Jinnah Park garden has been restricted due to ill-planned construction of BRT where greeny started dying with no flowers these days.

The encroachment land of Wazir Bagh, Jinnah Park and Shahlimar gardens needs to be retrieved for the provision of a better environment to Peshawarities.

City Government authorities said under the ‘new Peshawar old charm’ project, the refurbishment of Wazir Bagh garden had been completed.