THE Ayub National Park is one of the biggest natural parks in Pakistan with an abundance of trees, about half a dozen lakes and an uneven land structure. But the park used to be much bigger; that is before man’s greed deprived it off its precious pieces.
The park’s present area of 350 acres used to be much larger. First came the golf course that is now used mainly by military personnel. Then a chunk was sold by someone in power to a businessman and is now under dispute. Another chunk has been leased out to a company that has set up an amusement park. The rest, much of it is lying unused. Still, the main area which is open to the public is beautiful and is one of the city’s biggest assets. It needs to be preserved and kept that way, not only because of its prime location but because it belongs to the people, who need a place for rest and relaxation. There are not many places that provide these two amenities to the public and the land mafia have been eying it for an housing colony. This must be resisted at all costs.
For many years, the park was run and maintained by the Cantonment Board. Known by the name of Topi Rakh it was developed from a vast jungle to some semblance of a park and later, whenever someone in charge bothered to look into its affairs, more facilities were added. A restaurant was built and a fountain erected alongside a baradari; a lovely small building that housed an aquarium with varieties of fishes and water animals became a big attraction for visitors. Walking tracks were made and so on. Unfortunately, over the years those in authority lost interest and the park was neglected, so it began reverting to its former jungle-like state and became the hangout of unsavoury elements.
Over the years, police harassed couples for nikah namas. Overall, things were in a mess, even a couple of murders took place in the wild undergrowth. The name of the park too kept on changing until finally it came to being called Ayub National Park.
Four years back, the park was taken over by the Army Heritage Foundation. Since, it has seen an improvement in the way it looks and in its administration, though it still needs to be streamlined in some areas. Among the plus points are the removal of the undergrowth and dead trees — though this exercise has made many people unhappy and they have accused the top brass of the AHF of making money by selling the trees, while the administration says all trees have been documented and only those which were dangerous, useless or eaten by white ants have been done away with and the money used for development of the park.
The overall cleanliness too has improved. But it is a constant battle to keep the place really spick and span as the general public has a ‘couldn’t care or less’ attitude and throws litter just about anywhere except in the bins. There is a need for security guards on duty to keep a sharp lookout for litter bugs and restaurant and small stall holders to be made responsible for litter around their area. These security guards, equipped with walkie-talkies do not bother couples and the goonda elements have to look elsewhere to air their frustrations.
There are five lakes of various sizes in the park of which three are in the main park. These too have been cleaned and the surrounding areas cleared of brush and wild undergrowth. Motor boats that used to ply in one of the large lakes have been banished and in their place rowing and paddle boats have been allowed to operate thus ensuring that the fish and feathered population flourishes. In the other large lake, fishing is allowed after obtaining a license for a small fee. All these lakes have a growth of lotus that is a beautiful sight, especially when the flowers are in bloom and the level of the water has increased with the rains as well as the overflow from Rawalpindi’s water supply tanks. This water used to go to waste until it was channelled into the lakes by the present administration.
Apart from the existing attractions that provide entertainment to young and old visitors with games, rides and a small zoo, a picturesque snake house has been added to the attractions and draws a good crowd on holidays and weekends. It is reached by crossing a small rope bridge over the water at one end of the fishing lake and houses snakes of different species; two baby crocodiles have been acquired and other reptiles will soon be added.
A miniature ‘Jurrasic Park,’ complete with a crashed Cessna plane atop a hill, fibre glass dinosaurs and a jungle atmosphere, is fast nearing completion. A big area where there is a lot of greenery around the lake with the boats, has been turned into a bird sanctuary. Enclosed with strong wire fencing, birds of a number of exotic varieties have been let loose to breed in the natural habitat under the watchful eye of guards, because marauders like jackals are still found looking for prey inside the area. This experiment proved successful and now these birds can be seen quite easily when you take a walk around the lake in and outside side the fencing.
A proper zoo is in the making as animals like deer and monkeys have also been accommodated in large enclosed areas or big cages around the park and others like giraffes and zebras are on their way. A formal garden known as Knot Gardens or Maze Gardens is planned opposite the large lake with the bird sanctuary and is slowly taking shape. A large tract of land has been levelled and the grass planted to make the base of the garden, a natural stone wall studded with numerous fountains is in place and a waterfall cascading down a nearby hill may eventually be added.
On the downside there is a tendency to overdo the pruning and clearing, mainly on the complaints of the faint-hearted who are afraid of ‘wild animals,’ thus spoiling some of the natural beauty of the surroundings. Thank goodness greenery grows fast and some of the spoiled areas are looking good again after the rains. Stylized flower-beds and un-necessary metal ‘decorations’ have been erected in some places, having no useful purpose and sticking out like a sore thumb in comparison to the natural beauty.
Planning that incorporates the natural environment and makes it a part of the park’s beauty needs to be kept in mind whenever any changes are made and artificial additions must be avoided at all costs unless they are there for a purpose. An old life-boat, rescued from the junk house and refurbished, stands in between the proposed garden and the lake and doesn’t quite fit in its present location, so maybe another spot will be found for its placement in a more appropriate place closer to water.
It is understood that the government has told the park authorities to generate their own funds and this is partly being done by imposing an entrance fee on motor vehicles and renting out premises like the restaurant.
There is a plant nursery which is producing plants for the park as well as commercial purposes and sometimes the open-air theatre or a portion of the park is rented out for fairs. This was not appreciated by those who live in the area because of the noise made by loud music that went on till midnight and the mess left by the contractors. Many complaints have, hopefully, put an end to this form of fund-raising.
Future plans for the area include turning it into a theme park and for this outside investment may be solicited. This may or may not be a good idea, considering that you have to pay for entertainment in theme parks. As long as the main natural park area is left untouched and open for the under privileged public to enjoy, it may be a good addition to the entertainment facilities, of which there are very few in Rawalpindi.
THE Ayub National Park is one of the biggest natural parks in Pakistan with an abundance of trees, about half a dozen lakes and an uneven land structure. But the park used to be much bigger; that is before man’s greed deprived it off its precious pieces.
