Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
3 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
4 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
5 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
6 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Pakistan Rawalpindi Liaqat Bagh

Liaqat Bagh

An otherwise ordinary park with a dark past.

Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Added By
Shehryar Mir
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
A spot overlooking the park, from where Benazir Bhutto delivered what would be her final public address.   shehryarmir / Atlas Obscura User
A spot overlooking the park, from where Benazir Bhutto delivered what would be her final public address.   shehryarmir / Atlas Obscura User
Along the perimeter of the park is a wall commemorating the two politicians   Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
Liaquat Bagh.   shehryarmir / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

This Place Is a Stub

Help improve this place with additional information or photos.

Make an Edit

About

Formerly known as Company Bagh, this park has been the unfortunate host to not one but two high profile political assassinations that shook Pakistan. 

Visitors to Liaquat Bagh, located on one of the main arteries in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, may find themselves unaware that they walk in the footprints of gruesome history.

On October 16, 1951, Pakistan's first Prime Minister, Liaquat Ali Khan, was shot dead by an Afghan assailant during a public meeting of his political party here. The park was later renamed Liaquat Bagh (or Liaquat Park) in his memory. 

Decades later in 2007, the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto, was murdered moments after addressing a political rally in the park on December 2007. She died from injuries sustained after the shooting and subsequent blast outside the venue that left 20 others dead.

Both cases remain unsolved to this day and have fueled numerous conspiracy theories.

In 2016, the park also hosted the funeral of convicted murderer Mumtaz Qadri, who shot governor Punjab Salman Taseer in 2011 over allegations of blasphemy. The funeral drew in thousands of religious fundamentalists who thronged the park to pay their last respects to an assassin.

But a visit there today and you would never know anything happened, as no visible markers or memorials indicate its dark history. Liaquat Bagh remains a popular spot for the residents of Rawalpindi, serving as little more than an inviting park in a concrete jungle short on green space.

Related Tags

Assassination Murder Parks

Know Before You Go

To avoid traffic, the park can be accessed by the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus service, which includes a stop adjacent to Liaquat Bagh.

Community Contributors

Added By

shehryarmir

Edited By

Max Cortesi

  • Max Cortesi

Published

February 21, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.dawn.com/news/1213461
  • http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7161590.stm
  • https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/13/opinion/sunday/my-fathers-killers-funeral.html
Liaqat Bagh
Press Club Rd
Rawalpindi, 46000
Pakistan
33.60617, 73.06417
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Hindu Temples of Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi, Pakistan

miles away

Faisal Mosque

Islamabad, Pakistan

miles away

Bhamala Stupa

Pambala, Pakistan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Pakistan

Pakistan

Asia

Places 34
Stories 9

Nearby Places

Hindu Temples of Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi, Pakistan

miles away

Faisal Mosque

Islamabad, Pakistan

miles away

Bhamala Stupa

Pambala, Pakistan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Pakistan

Pakistan

Asia

Places 34
Stories 9

Related Places

  • Eskişehir, Turkey

    Uğur Mumcu Park

    This harrowing memorial remembers a murdered investigative journalist.

  • Malacca, Malaysia

    Hang Li Poh’s Well (Perigi Raja)

    Initially built for a Chinese princess and sultana, this well was used to secretly assassinate some 200 Portuguese colonizers.

  • Screenshot of the wilderness surrounding Buffalo Lake, which is located within the “Zone of Death.”

    Island Park, Idaho

    Yellowstone's Zone of Death

    A legal loophole makes it possible to get away with murder within this 50-square-mile section of Yellowstone.

  • Memorial plaque at the place of the assassination.

    Stockholm, Sweden

    Olof Palme Memorial Plaque

    A golden plaque marks the site of the mysterious unsolved assassination of the former Swedish prime minister.

  • Oswald’s nondescript grave.

    Fort Worth, Texas

    Lee Harvey Oswald's Grave

    Of course the grave of JFK's assassin is surrounded by conspiracy theories.

  • Abandoned Kiel Ranch, circa 1933.

    Las Vegas, Nevada

    Kiel Ranch

    An 1870s ranch for pioneers, rodeo stars, and divorcees was abandoned and left for dead, until the city reopened it for exploration.

  • The Edmond Bombing Memorial in Mitch Park.

    Edmond, Oklahoma

    Edmond Bombing Memorial

    A memorial to victims of the Oklahoma City bombing.

  • The old ticket house at League Park now houses the Baseball Heritage Museum.

    Cleveland, Ohio

    League Park

    Remnants of a forgotten ballpark where legend and infamy intersect.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.