Liaquat Bagh falls into despair

Authorities, PPP leadership draw citizens’ ire over poor upkeep of fame site

RAWALPINDI:

Liaquat Bagh, the site where former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was martyred, has unfortunately fallen into a state of neglect and disrepair due to what is being described as complete negligence and carelessness by the authorities concerned and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

This has led to the transformation of the site into a dumping ground for garbage, a stark contrast to its significance as a place of remembrance.

Central leaders of the PPP in Rawalpindi, including Raja Kamran, Shahid Pappu, District President Chaudhary Zaheer, Aamir Fida Paracha, Malik Khalid Nawaz Bobi, Babar Sultan Jadoon, and Banaras Chaudhary, along with their colleagues, have reportedly been absent from addressing the deteriorating condition of the martyrdom site.

Instead, their focus seems to be on other political engagements, such as visits to the President's House and Senate House.

The deterioration of the martyrdom site is evident, with dozens of tiles broken and scattered. Over the past ten days, garbage collectors have been depositing waste collected from the streets at this site, mistakenly viewing the shed area as a suitable location.

This garbage is sometimes sold off when it accumulates, only to resume the dumping cycle at the site.

Local leaders and workers affiliated with the PPP have not visited the site for weeks, leading to its transformation into a dumping ground. This negligence has drawn strong criticism from long-time party workers, who recall promises made by Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani and former Interior Minister Rehman Malik to construct a memorial for Benazir Bhutto at the site, along with funding commitments that have not materialized over the past 16 years.

The state of the martyrdom site has become a cause of concern not just for party workers but also for the broader community. Garbage accumulation, broken tiles, and the presence of drug addicts at night have created an unsafe and unsightly environment. The failure to address these issues has prompted demands for the dismissal of city and district PPP organizations and immediate action on constructing the promised memorial.

In response to the growing criticism, Senior Vice President of PPP City Iftikhar Chaudhary has pledged to rectify the situation and fulfil the promise of building a national monument at the martyrdom site. However, this announcement comes amidst frustration and disappointment among those who expected timely action and proper upkeep of this important historical site.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 17^th, 2024.