CHITRAL: The Osama Shaheed Park has become a major recreation facility for residents here.

Inaugurated exactly two years ago, the park was the brainchild of Osama Ahmad Warraich, the then DC of Chitral (Oct 2015 to Dec 2016).

Earlier, the city had no public park, where the families could go on holidays and in leisure time.

Syed Mazhar Ali Shah, the then additional assistant commissioner and the current settlement officer, recalled the days of the construction which had been entrusted to him after site selection and it was his zeal and zest that it prepared for inauguration by the chief secretary in a short span of 49 days.

“Sparing some time out of the flurry of his activities and engagements in his office, Osama Warraich used to come to the site and kept abreast himself of its physical progress on daily basis and while out of district, he phoned in the evening about the project which he had endeared so much.

Official says TCKP approached for park upgradation

“It was an uphill task to level and prepare the land for the park, which was a barren land replete with boulders of huge size but the enthusiasm shown by Osama was the driving force and it was not an ordinary accomplishment while at the same time he was establishing a coaching academy for students and refurbishment of DHQ Hospital,” he told Dawn.

The official said when work began on the park, not a single penny was there in the budget for the purpose but the then DC managed it by making friends and relatives contribute money.

He said after Osama Warraich’s death in a plane crash in Dec 2016, three weeks after its inauguration, the DC Public Park was named after him.

“This will keep Osama Warraich’s name alive here for times to come,” he said.

An official of DC office said the park was self-sustainable as the income generated by it, especially entry fee and rent of shops, was spent for its maintenance, and that it was not a burden on exchequer.

He said the Tourism Corporation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been formally approached for the development of the park, which didn’t have toilets for visitors.

Saifur Rahman Aziz, who regularly visits the park with family on holidays, said the park’s location was the best.

“This park stands away from the town in a serene place on the riverbank from where the peak of Terich Mir is clearly visible. The markhors are also visible in the enclosure put up by the wildlife department,” he said.

The visitor however complained that the park was short of so many facilities, especially toilets, while it should also be beautified.

“It seems that after the death of its architect (Osama), attention hasn’t been paid to upgrade this park,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2018