Bagh Ibne Qasim (

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Muhammad bin Qasim Muḥammad ibn al-Qāsim al-Thaqāfī ( ar, محمد بن القاسم الثقفي; –) was an Arab military commander in service of the Umayyad Caliphate who led the Muslim conquest of Sindh (part of modern Pakistan), inaugurating the Umayya ...

) is a beachside park in

Karachi, Pakistan Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

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 Jehangir Kothari Parade ( ur, ) is a promenade built on land donated by Seth Jehangir Hormusji Kothari to the city of Karachi in 1919. It is situated on a hilltop on the Arabian Sea, in the Clifton Beach area of Karachi. Jehangir Kothari ...

, and ends near the coast of the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...

. The encompasses the

, 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 Karachi Metropolitan Corporation () is a public corporation and governing body to provide municipal services in Karachi, the largest city of Pakistan. History 1852 Karachi Conservancy Board was established to control cholera epidemics in Kara ...

leased out land for development. In 1966, the Karachi Development Authority 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: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Pervez Musharraf General Pervez Musharraf ( ur, , Parvez Muśharraf; born 11 August 1943) is a former Pakistani politician and four-star general of the Pakistan Army who became the tenth president of Pakistan after the successful military takeover of the ...

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

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

conqueror,

Muhammad Bin Qasim Muḥammad ibn al-Qāsim al-Thaqāfī ( ar, محمد بن القاسم الثقفي; –) was an Arab military commander in service of the Umayyad Caliphate who led the Muslim conquest of Sindh (part of modern Pakistan), inaugurating the Umayya ...

of the

Umayyad The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by the ...

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 recently on-hold skyscraper complex in the seaside municipality of Clifton in Karachi, Pakistan. The complex includes a 62-storey tower, which at , is the tallest building in Pakistan and among the tallest buildings in So ...

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 Karachi, the largest city of Pakistan. History 1852 Karachi Conservancy Board was established to control cholera epidemics in Kara ...

, and the park was re-opened by

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier 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. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Imran Khan Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi ( ur}; born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician and former Cricket captain who served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan from August 2018 to until April 2022, when he was ousted through a no-confidenc ...

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

, 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 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. ...

Karachi Port Trust The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) ( ur, ) is a Pakistani federal government agency under the administrative control of the Federal Maritime Secretary that oversees the operations of the Port of Karachi, one of South Asia's largest and busiest de ...

(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 Faiz Ahmad ''Faiz'' (13 February 1911 – 20 November 1984; Urdu, Punjabi: فیض احمد فیض) was a Pakistani poet, and author of Urdu and Punjabi literature. Faiz was one of the most celebrated Pakistani Urdu writers of his time. Outsi ...

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

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