RAWALPINDI: A three-day spring festival titled ‘Jashan-e-baharan’ will start on May 7 at Allama Iqbal Park, previously known as Nawaz Sharif Park, to provide an opportunity for the residents of the garrison city to have a good time.

PHA has chalked out a schedule for the floral displays, food stalls, and festival swings. Besides, fireworks would be held on inauguration day, PHA Director General Ahmed Hassan Ranjha said.

He added that the festival would be held in two phases: a flower show, a musical night, and fireworks in Allama Iqbal Park, while in the second phase, a two-day function will be held at Gorakhpur near Adiala, where tent pegging and horse dancing competitions will be held from May 11 and May 12.

Mr Ranjha said that tent pegging and horse dancing would be held in Gorakhpur as it required a large area and we had a lot of space outside the city areas. Moreover, flower fest would be displayed where the gardeners of PHA would arrange the spring flowers in different shapes.

The PHA director general noted that the food stalls will also be installed at the festival, adding that the festival will sensitise the community regarding tree plantations, environmental changes, global warming, ozone depletion, and pollution through different programmes.

Earlier, the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) had planned to start the festival on April 26, but it was canceled due to the Met Office prediction of rains from April 26 to April 29.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2024