Beach Park, Karachi

Beach Park, located adjacent to Clifton Beach in Karachi, was inaugurated on December 12, 2005, as part of the city's Grand Recreation Project. Despite its purpose as a major public recreational space, the park, along with nearby Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Park, became the center of public controversy in 2025 when the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation began demolishing its outer boundary walls. While KMC officials defended the action as an initiative to "improve the beauty of the city" by showcasing its green areas more openly, the move was strongly protested by Clifton residents. Critics and political opposition figures argued that the removal of the protective walls was a highly criticized step towards the eventual commercialization and encroachment of valuable public park land, which is legally prohibited for such use by rulings from the Sindh High Court and Supreme Court of Pakistan.

History

In 2003 it was noted that historic sites were deteriorating because of government neglect and lack of sanitation facilities for tourists. The monuments at risk included Lady Lloyd Pier, Jehangir Kothari Pavilion and his bungalow, Jehangir Kothari Parade, and the Katrak bandstand. In 2005, Clifton Beach Park was opened as part of the renovation of the historic Kothari Parade and Bagh Ibn-i-Qasim. In recent times, the local government and civil society has tried to make the place beautiful and tourist-friendly again. Attempts include the installation of themed dustbins in the shape of Giant Fish and cleanup campaigns by local civil society members. There have also been a few urban forests such as Clifton Urban Forest planted to improve the conditions and beauty of the area.