KARACHI, Jan 23: Bagh Ibn-e- Qasim, the country’s largest park spread over 130 acres, is to be inaugurated by President Pervez Musharraf on February 27. The park at present is closed for the public and receiving finishing touches. This scribe observed many unique features when he visited the site.

The park is so enormous it can accommodate at least 300,000 people at a time and will be open day and night.

A portion of the enormous garden offers more than 100 animals in action but they can not move as they are the genus of flowering plants like lajastonia and bougainvillea, which have been carved in such a way that they resemble different animal species. District Officer of Parks of the CDGK Liaquat Ali Khan believe such a large ‘horticultural zoo’ exists nowhere in South Asia.

“We got these plants from Thailand using official and unofficial resources. Huge sums were not spent on their purchase, it is just a labour of love on our part,” said Mr Khan. According to him, these ‘animals’ get their food not through the mouth but roots deep in the ground. “Look, what a beautiful sight they are, they will bring great joy to children and their elders alike,” he said. He is justified in taking pride in his work and calling it the most beautiful park in the country, as this scribe watched the sun set in the Arabian Sea giving the scene a surreal look. The garden’s exclusivity is that it is along the Arabian Sea, which no other park possesses,” said Mr Khan.

These flowering plants have been carved by Thai artists to resemble giraffes, golden pheasants, rabbits, deer, peacocks, elephants, bears, kangaroos, seals, pelicans etc. This portion is the latest addition and visitors will only be allowed to view from a distance so that the Green Creatures are not destroyed or harmed.

“The Bagh has become a reality due to the President’s and Governor Ishratul Ibad Khan’s personal interest otherwise removing 450 encroachments is an impossible task,” said Mr Khan. The CDGK spent Rs500 million on the 130-acre garden. Before the project was launched, 74 acres was encroached, which was vacated because of the governor’s efforts.

A Hindu temple located in what is now the park’s midst, has been renovated in line with the overall design of the park and worshippers can enter the premises free-of-charge when it opens to the public.

Ten thousand eight hundred trees have been transplanted in the garden. Over 3,000 stone benches and twenty canopies erected. There are 1,500 dustbins to keep the lawns clean. One hopes visitors to the park use them and keep this garden clean.

To keep the premises lively at night, 30 lighting towers — each carrying 24 powerful bulbs — twenty arena vision floodlights and over 1,000 footlights are installed. One hundred twenty acres are used for lawns and paths, walking and other structures have been built on the remaining 10 acres.

The City District Government Karachi, which owns the park, has hired a private security agency for the park. This firm will deploy about 200 security guards besides 50 men mounted on horses will ensure security. Another Rs6.5 million contract for the park’s maintenance for four months has been given to another firm. Ticket collection rights will also be auctioned.