Land of historic public gardens usurped in Khost

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): Residents of southeastern Khost province say historic orchards and land plots belonged to the government have been grabbed by local people and strongmen in the province.

They ask the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) and other organs concerned to reconstruct the historic facilities and deal with the threat to government properties in the province.

Those who visit these places for recreation say amusement and greenery in the areas have gone and people evince little interest in going there for fun.

Mukhtaruddin, a resident, told Pajhwok Afghan News, “The land of these gardens has been usurped in most areas, it is not good for the government to be silent.”

Milma Kot, Farm Bagh, Baloot are historical gardens in Khost, which had been built during leadership of various kings and people from different areas visit them for recreation.

Abdul Wali, a provincial council member of Khost, said that government gardens were usurped by strongmen and the historic structures were on the verge of ruin due to government’s negligence.

“Yes, the government land including historic gardens in Khost are usurped by people, most important of these gardens are Badam Bagh, Farm Bagh, Milma Bagh, Alisher Bagh and others,” he said.

Nasir Gul, a resident of Khost city, the provincial capital, said he visited Badam Bagh along with his friends for recreation but there was no place left for seeing or sitting as they had been damaged.

“There were flowers, amusement parks and sitting areas in this garden in the past, trees were planted here from the time of Taliban, no new developments took place under the new administration,” he said.

Meanwhile, Khost governor  Mohammad Halim Fidai said no one would be allowed to grab or damage the historic gardens. He said he had shared the issue with officials concerned in Kabul.

Four decades of conflict in Afghanistan have seriously damaged public gardens and recreational areas and the new administration also did not care for their rehabilitation.

mds/ma