| Botanical Garden project fails to bear any fruit |
| Saturday, 14 June 2008 | |
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A dream to build an Orchid garden in Karachi, which would have served as an incubator facility for production of this internationally loved plant for the local market as well as export, has been wasted owing to infighting and petty jealousies amongst various persons who all claim to have the “best interests of Karachi” at heart. The Orchid Pavillion, part of Karachi’s proposed Botanical Garden to be situated at the Old Race Course area, remains an unrealised dream despite unprecedented support and patience from a member of the Thai Royal family, which had shown keen interest in the project. The Orchid Pavilion, one of its kind in Pakistan saw its soft inauguration in August 2003. The then Defence Housing Authority (DHA) administrator, Brig Asif Ghazali and Praphat Chantaharn, the Thai Consul General were the honoured guests. The DHA had planned to divide the earmarked land into two — one for an Information Technology (IT) sector and another for the proposed Orchid Pavilion, part of the larger Botanical Garden project. Amirali Fancy, one of the persons behind the project, said he used his personal connections with Thai Prince Disnadda Diskul to start up the project. “In 2003, my interest in Orchid plants developed and I started growing them in my house,” says Fancy. He soon after joined the Orchid Society of Pakistan (OSP) and later became the president of the society. Others who joined the OSP included Abdul Karim Khan, who was president of the Horticultural Society of Pakistan (HSP). It was around this time that Lt General Tariq Waseem Ghazi, then Corps Commander in Karachi, floated the idea of a botanical garden for Karachi. He promised full support and facilitated a site at the race course where 120 acres of land was leased to the DHA for this. “I called my friend, the Thai prince to provide orchid plants to which he agreed,” says Fancy. The Prince had agreed to donate 1,000 plants for the garden. Later, the HSP signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the DHA to build a botanical garden and a nursery which would facilitate the maintenance of the Orchid Pavilion and other gardens. The nursery was a commercial venture between DHA and other stakeholders. Soon after, Prince Diskul visited Karachi for a day with delegation of world renowned orchid expert Dr Uthai as well as the Thai Deputy Foreign Minister. Initially the prince offered 10,000 plants. He later pledged 100,000 plants. Within a week a special delegation of plant experts arrived in Pakistan to help develop the botanical garden. Diskul also offered the services of special experts who would stay in Pakistan and help grow the orchids as well as develop the nursery on a commercial footing so the orchids could also be exported as cut flowers to earn foreign exchange. Almost 50 per cent of the money earned by the commercial nursery was to go to the DHA. This money was to be used for the maintenance of the botanical garden. But things started to go wrong soon after. When the delegation of 17 experts arrived, there were no ground facilities such as water or power or proper accommodation and assistance. There was a fight between the OSP, the HSP and the DHA as to who would foot their expenses. During those days, as luck would have it, heavy rains lashed the city and botanical garden was inundated with water. Hundreds of plants were destroyed. To cover the losses, Prince Diskul provided more plants so that the garden would not suffer. But inaction, dispute and jealousies ensured that the project did not get off the ground. Fancy says that when he protested with the powers that be, he was threatened. Today, most of what was gifted by Thailand and imported has been taken away by various stakeholders and sold in the open market. When contacted, Col Khalid Mumtaz, Director DHA, said that only the HSP could comment on the matter. Both Lt General (Retd) Ghazi and A. K. Khan were unavailable for comment. |
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