PESHAWAR: Mughal-era Wazir Bagh is crumbling. It has lost its historical value due to negligence and new construction that has brought the monument on the brink of extinction.
The government has allocated Rs100 million for the reconstruction of the Bagh but unfortunately, the new construction has distorted its historical value. The three ponds built during the Mughal period have been eliminated instead of efforts to preserve as part of history. The football ground is in ruin and citizen, especially women, have stopped visiting the park due to lack of proper arrangements. Although, there is maintenance staff but despite getting hefty salaries, they never performed their duties.
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Construction work on Wazir Bagh in PK-78, which started a year ago at a cost of Rs100 million is too slow. The elders and youth of PK-78 constituency said that the government has sanctioned Rs100 million for the renovation of Wazir Bagh and work on project was inaugurated in September 2020 but it has distorted the mughal-era garden.
Under the project, a separate park and walking track, football, cricket grounds and walking track for women was to be built. However, the football ground is in a state of disrepair and “substandard” grass has been planted According to the youth, they were promised to build an international standard football ground. They also complained that the authorities have also demolished the only mosque for the area situated inside the Wazir Bagh with the commitment that new building will be constructed. The fountains have also been removed from the garden while there is also no washroom or clean water facility.
Historic background
The historic Wazir Bagh is located in the south of Peshawar city and also known as garden of Sardar Fateh Muhammad Khan Barakzai. Sardar Fateh Mohammad Khan Barakzai aka Wazir has attacked Peshawar during the Durrani dynasty and captured the city from King Shah Shuja. After his arrival to the city, he built Wazir Bagh for his residence in the south of Peshawar. Wazir Bagh, like in the past, was still a great source of recreation for the residents of Peshawar. Peshawar is known as the city of gardens and flowers. In the past, here were gardens around the city of Peshawar, included Shahi Bagh, Saeed Khan Bagh, Jinnah Park and others.
Samar Haroon Bilour, Member of Provincial Assembly elected from PK-78 constituency, said that she had come up with the plan to renovate Wazir Bagh but unfortunately the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government used the project for political point scoring. Bilour added that during the construction work, the authorities also cut down 150-year-old trees in the historic garden.
