Jinnah Park
{{Short description|Amusement and public park in Rawalpindi, Pakistan}}
{{For|the park in Peshawar|Jinnah Park, Peshawar}}
{{Distinguish|Fatima Jinnah Park}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=June 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox park
| name = Jinnah Park
| native_name = {{Langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|جناح پارک}}|label=none}}
| location = Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| area = {{convert|17|ha|acre|abbr=off}}
| status = Operating
| coordinates = {{coord|33.5847128|N|73.0737390|E|format=dms|type:landmark_region:PK|display=inline,title}}
| opened = {{start date and age|2006}}
| type = {{flatlist|
| open = Year-round; 6 a.m. to midnight
| parking = Available
| administrator = Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA)
| image = Jinnah Park Entrance.jpg
| image_caption = Park’s second entrance with Unity Towers visible in the distance
| etymology = From the name of the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah}}
Jinnah Park ({{Langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|جناح پارک}}}}) is an amusement and public park located on Airport Road in the high-security Chaklala Cantonment suburb of Rawalpindi, Pakistan. It is the town's primary amusement park and covers an area of approximately {{Convert|17|ha|acre|abbr=off|adj=off}}.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Area Calculator - Outline a property on a google map and find its area|url=https://www.mapdevelopers.com/area_finder.php?polygons=%5B%5B%5B%5B33.58575919426418%2C73.07091769727373%5D%2C%5B33.58561440975563%2C73.07077176099543%5D%2C%5B33.585388730872516%2C73.07053036218409%5D%2C%5B33.58512953459536%2C73.07038284068827%5D%2C%5B33.58444356703721%2C73.07027731535271%5D%2C%5B33.58384473907415%2C73.0702388452425%5D%2C%5B33.583562325064584%2C73.07414902210448%5D%2C%5B33.583446131266896%2C73.07531846523497%5D%2C%5B33.58325095130683%2C73.07731231074271%5D%2C%5B33.583297482822076%2C73.07747608980199%5D%2C%5B33.58376225787473%2C73.07754046281835%5D%2C%5B33.58420021669115%2C73.07728297075292%5D%2C%5B33.5846616315387%2C73.07695751033498%5D%2C%5B33.58555598875794%2C73.07598153160238%5D%2C%5B33.58597438030427%2C73.0755441205319%5D%2C%5B33.58678522335858%2C73.07510173754734%5D%2C%5B33.586168523678666%2C73.07385719256443%5D%2C%5B33.58645329257459%2C73.07362017964537%5D%2C%5B33.586002633919655%2C73.0725793261973%5D%2C%5B33.58580823816786%2C73.07107728914896%5D%2C%5B33.58575919426418%2C73.07091769727373%5D%5D%2C%22%23AAAAAA%22%2C%22%23000000%22%2C0.4%5D%5D|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=10 July 2020|website=www.mapdevelopers.com}} Initial plans for its development began as early as 1995 and it was opened in 2006.{{Cite web|last=Khattak|first=Inamullah|date=7 September 2012|title=Jinnah Park — a bone of contention|url=https://www.dawn.com/2012/09/07/jinnah-park-a-bone-of-contention-2/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=10 July 2020|website=DAWN.COM|publisher=Dawn Media Group|language=en}} It was named after Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder and the first Governor-General of Pakistan. Sculptures of Jinnah and his family name are placed at the park's main entrance.
<span id="Former Jail & Bhutto Execution Site"></span>History
The site for the park was previously occupied by the maximum security District Jail Rawalpindi which opened in 1882. Former president and prime minister of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was notably imprisoned here before being executed on 4 April 1979.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2009-04-04|title=On this day: Bhutto Hanged|url=http://beta.dawn.com/news/957746/on-this-day-bhutto-hanged|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-07-11|website=DAWN.COM|publisher=Dawn Media Group|location=Pakistan|language=en}} The exact spot on site, where the gallows once stood is unknown. The prison was demolished in 1988 after the completion of construction of Central Jail Rawalpindi, commonly known as Adyala Jail, in 1986.
The construction of the park began in 1995, when Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) tasked Capital Development Authority (CDA) to build the park. In 2004, the incomplete project was passed on to Pakistan Army's X Corps and after facing delays, it finally opened in 2006. RDA spent at least {{Currency|329 million|PKR|passthrough=yes|first=yes}} on the project.
<span id="Current Facilities"></span>Attractions
Jinnah Park houses Pakistan's first multiplex called "Cinepax", the first one by the company of the same name.{{Cite web|last=Khattak|first=Inamullah|date=2007-10-12|title=Cinepax opens in Pindi's Jinnah Park|url=http://beta.dawn.com/news/271023/cinepax-opens-in-pindi-s-jinnah-park|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-07-09|website=DAWN.COM|publisher=Dawn Media Group|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2012-10-08|title=With 5D cinema, moviegoers to not only see but feel the film too|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/448916/new-theatre-in-town-with-5d-cinema-moviegoers-to-not-only-see-but-feel-the-film-too|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-07-09|website=The Express Tribune|publisher=The Express Tribune|language=en}} It has a McDonald's Restaurant which offers both counter service, with both indoor and outdoor seating available, and drive-thru service, 24 hours a day. It also houses a PlayPlace – an indoor playground. There is a KFC restaurant located right next to the McDonald's. The park has another restaurant called Diva, a frozen yogurt and gelato chain shop called "Frutti5", Second Cup, Subway, Pappasallis (an Italian chain), and other restaurants and cafes. Tuck-shops are scattered throughout the park. "Cosmo Cash and Carry" retails a wide range of products at a discount, for example, groceries, meat and poultry, frozen foods, dairy products, health and beauty products, appliances etc. The park also has:
- basketball courts
- cricket nets
- football grounds
- a ten-pin bowling club{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=29 October 2018|title=Leisure City-II Bowling Club inaugurated in Rawalpindi|url=https://nation.com.pk/29-Oct-2018/leisure-city-ii-bowling-club-inaugurated-in-rawalpindi|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=10 July 2020|website=The Nation|publisher=The Nation (Pakistan)|language=en}}
- dedicated playgrounds
- a skating area with a roller rink
- an open-air gym
- a jogging track
- Motion Rides
- various rides and games for children of all ages
- three mosques or prayer areas
- sitting areas
The park is adorned with lawns, flowerbeds, fountains and sculptures. The park features four sky-high pillars called "Unity Towers", one for each province of Pakistan. The height of each tower represents the size of its province relative to the others, thus the one for Balochistan is the tallest of the four and the one for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the shortest. There are four gazebos which are sculptured into enormous headgears, representative of the four provinces, while the seating arrangements underneath make use of the traditional charpais and gāo-takkiyas.{{Cite web|last=OCTOPUS|date=10 May 2006|title=A place to be proud of|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/5635-a-place-to-be-proud-of|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-07-10|website=www.thenews.com.pk|publisher=The News International|language=en}} During certain hours, the roller rink is open only for children or inexperienced roller skaters.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Jinnah Park (Rawalpindi) - 2020 All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)|url=http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g298423-d6487079-Reviews-Jinnah_Park-Rawalpindi_Punjab_Province.html|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=15 June 2020|website=Tripadvisor|language=en|quote=Popular…skating area}}{{Cite web|title=Visit Jinnah Park on your trip to Rawalpindi or Pakistan • Inspirock|url=https://www.inspirock.com/pakistan/rawalpindi/jinnah-park-a1246510371|access-date=2020-06-15|website=www.inspirock.com|language=en}}
Gallery
Image:Jinnah Park-1.jpg|Jinnah Park
Image:An old tree in Jinnah Park.jpg|An old tree at Jinnah Park's entrance