Ayub National Park offers recreational activities amidst stunning views by allowing visitors to choose boating, swing rides and other fun options. Photo: Express
RAWALPINDI:
Ayub National Park, Rawalpindi, is a historic recreational park dating back 126 years to the British colonial era.
During British rule, it served as a dense forest and a major picnic point for British families and military officers, popularly known as “Topy Rakh Picnic Point.”
In 1899, the British formally designated it as a picnic spot and handed it over to the Cantonment Committee, which developed jogging and walking tracks and upgraded the area.
In 1951, the Cantonment Board renamed it from Topy Rakh Park to National Park, and on March 5, 1958, it was renamed Ayub Park. The park was inaugurated on the same day by Field Marshal General Ayub Khan.
Ayub Park is one of Pakistan’s major national parks, covering a total area of 313 acres (127 hectares). It is the only park in the twin cities featuring three large lakes, all of which offer boating facilities for visiting families.
For the first 70 years, the park’s open-air theatre hosted major cultural and social gatherings. In 2001, the park’s control was handed over to the Army Heritage Foundation, which carried out extensive development work, transforming it into a blend of heritage and modern recreation.
Facilities include sports grounds, jogging tracks, landscaped lawns, and a ‘Miracle Garden’ established in 2021. The park offers numerous family attractions such as an 18-hole mini golf course, Time Shift Machine, Simba Tower, giant wheel, dodgem cars, tea cups, Hully Gully, Miami ride, paddle boats, mono train, and a haunted house.
Other amenities include indoor snooker, bull riding, gift shops, jungle gym video games, snack homes, and a zoo.
The zoo houses animals such as white tigers, Bengal tigers, African lions, bears, pumas, monkeys, baboons, zebras, deer, kangaroos, llamas, and various species of birds including peacocks, parrots, ostriches, pelicans, ducks, black swans, pheasants, and migratory water birds.
