While coming from office on Thursday I faced a massive traffic jam near old sabzi mandi due to weekly Ijtemah of Dawat-e-Islami at Faizan-e-Madina. Luckily I had a camera with me so I decided to visit Wildlife Aquarium and experience some Wildlife in Karachi.

ASKARI park is a family park – and two males don’t make a family, nor do one make it – which clearly means that you need a female member to complete the equation. Unfortunately, I had none. Faced with this very common problem I approached security office at Askari park and after long session of Topian and Dramay Maj (R) Jamil allowed me in.

Askari park has a staff of around 170 people with standby generators and desalination water plant of their own. Security system is very good and most of the park is monitored by surveillance cameras. Security looks better than most places.

The entry fee for park is Rs.5 and for Wildlife Aquarium it is Rs.10. Aquarium is air-conditioned and I have never seen an aquarium in Karachi with such a large collection of fish with excellent maintenance. Overall park maintenance is also good and children run around at various points in the park; skating area is also present for the more adventurous. Askari Park also allows jogging track and fee for whole month is 30 Rs only. On their staff card I found web address http://www.askariparkview.com/ (this is presently not working).

While talking to the staff I came across one gentleman to whom I am not agreed. He told me, “You can not find any park in Karachi like Askari park’s maintainace and reason for that could be it is not under city government”.