Bagh Ibne Qasim (

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

: ; , in reference to

Muhammad bin Qasim Muḥammad ibn al-Qāsim al-Thaqafī (; –) was an Arabs, Arab military commander in service of the Umayyad Caliphate who led the Muslim conquest of Sindh (and Punjab, part of ancient Sindh), inaugurating the Umayyad campaigns in India. His m ...

) is a beachside park in

Karachi, Pakistan Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

Location

The park is located near the

Clifton Beach, Karachi Clifton Beach, also known as Sea View, is a beach in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan and is located on the Arabian Sea. It stretches from Karachi to Ormara ( Balochistan). The beach is very popular in Pakistan. It is open 24/7 for the general public. ...

and is Karachi's largest urban park, covering . The northern edge begins at Jehangir Kothari Parade, and ends near the coast of the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...

. It encompasses the Jehangir Kothari Parade, built in 1919, as well as the Katrak Bandstand. The Lady Lloyd Pier, built in 1921, stretched from what is today Shahrah-e-Firdousi to the waterline of the shore through what is today the park. Two historic fountains are situated within the park, the Pirojbai Hormusji Khajurina Fountain from 1936, and the Motumal Shewaram Setpal Fountain, also from 1936.

History

The park encompasses what was previously known as the Rupchand Bilaram Park, which was almost in size. In 1964, the park's size was reduced to 132 acres after the Karachi Municipal Corporation leased out land for development. In 1966, the

Karachi Development Authority Karachi Development Authority (KDA) was established as the city-planning authority of Karachi in 1957, and replaced the earlier Karachi Improvement Trust (KIT). KDA, along with the Lyari Development Authority and Malir Development Authority, is re ...

assumed control of the park, and in 1974, renovated several structures in the park. A sea wall to the east was made at this time, which lead to the coastline retreating further from the southern edge of the park. The Jehangir Kothari Parade, Katrak Bandstand, Lady Lloyd Pier, and the 2 fountains were protected in 1994 by the Sindh Cultural Heritage Preservation Act. In the years afterwards the area fell into gradual decay as successive governments neglected to maintain the site. By 2001, the park was barren and considered a "virtual wasteland." PK Karachi asv2020-02 img06 Bagh Ibne Qasim

PK Karachi asv2020-02 img06 Bagh Ibne Qasim

Construction on the new park began on 22 July 2005. The park was ceremonially opened by then

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Pervez Musharraf Pervez Musharraf (11 August 1943 – 5 February 2023) was a Pakistani general and politician who served as the tenth president of Pakistan from 2001 to 2008. Prior to his career in politics, he was a four-star general and appointed as ...

on 27 February 2007 at a cost of PKR 600 million, and renamed after the 8th century

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

conqueror,

Muhammad Bin Qasim Muḥammad ibn al-Qāsim al-Thaqafī (; –) was an Arabs, Arab military commander in service of the Umayyad Caliphate who led the Muslim conquest of Sindh (and Punjab, part of ancient Sindh), inaugurating the Umayyad campaigns in India. His m ...

of the

Umayyad The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a membe ...

empire. The park quickly gained popularity and became a venue for different events. By 2015, the park again began to fall into decay due to lack of maintenance. A large three-level intersection on Shahrah-e-Firdousi, as well as the allegedly illegal seizing of land for the 62-floor

Bahria Icon Tower Bahria Icon Tower is a skyscraper complex in the seaside municipality of Clifton, Karachi, Clifton in Karachi, Pakistan. The complex includes a 62-storey tower, which at , is the List of tallest buildings in Pakistan, tallest building in Pakistan ...

further deteriorated the park's environment. In April 2017, the park again was renovated by the

Karachi Metropolitan Corporation Karachi Metropolitan Corporation () is a public corporation and governing body to provide municipal services in most of Karachi, the capital of Sindh. History 1846 Karachi Conservancy Board was established to control cholera epidemics in ...

, and the park was re-opened by

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Imran Khan Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi (born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician, philanthropist, and former cricketer who served as the 19th prime minister of Pakistan from August 2018 until April 2022. He was the founder of the political party Pak ...

on 30 March 2019. In October 2019, the park hosted the opening of the Karachi Biennale. Bagh ibn Qasim

Features

The park is spread over near the

coast. The northern edge of the park includes the 1919 Jehangir Kothari Parade, the Katrak Bandstand, and former Karachi Aquarium. The 1921 Lady Lloyd Pier begins at the northern edge of the park near the Jehangir Kothari Parade, and extends into the park. The park also has a turtle pond, murals of dinosaurs, 24 washrooms, a mosque, 20 stone canopies and a large rose garden. It overlooks the Port Fountain of

Karachi Port Trust The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) () is a Government of Pakistan, Pakistani federal government agency, under the administrative control of the Maritime Secretary of Pakistan, Federal Maritime Secretary that oversees the operations of the Port of Ka ...

(KPT).

Significance

Many large public gatherings and events are frequently held here due to its huge size of park grounds, for example the centennial celebrations for the renowned Pakistani poet

Faiz Ahmad Faiz Chaudhry Faiz Ahmad Faiz (13 February 1911 – 20 November 1984) was a Pakistani poet and author of Punjabi language, Punjabi and Urdu literature. Faiz was one of the most celebrated, popular, and influential Urdu writers of his time, and his ...

in November 2011. Events that have taken place in the park include the Sindh Festival 2014. Ibn Qasim Park

Gallery

File:PK Karachi asv2020-02 img05 Bagh Ibne Qasim.jpg, The Jehangir Kothari Parade at the northern edge of the park File:KatrakBandstand.jpg, View of the Katrak Bandstand File:Bagh-e-Qasim Karachi.jpg, Aerial night-time view of the park File:Bagh Ibne Qasim view 1.jpg, The Lady Lloyd Pier, built in 1921, runs through much of the park

References

External links

All Parks in Karachi – (CDGK.com) Archived
{{Parks in Karachi Parks in Karachi Clifton, Karachi Tourist attractions in Karachi Gardens in Pakistan 2007 establishments in Pakistan