he first person here parks his car in the lot soon after the call for morning prayers is over. More cars arrive gradually and the parking lot fills up by 7am, at which point the attendants brings out the “Lot Full” signs.

This is an everyday occurrence at the four gates of the Model Town Park. Every morning, a similar situation can be seen at the parking places in Racecourse Park and Lawrence Garden.

According to Sadiq, a guard at the Model Town Park by the C Block market, “this happens every morning throughout the year, regardless of humidity, freezing early winter morning temperatures or heavy monsoon rains.”

“There is no dearth of early risers in the city. We often face problems with parking options for the visitors, which shows that more people have become health conscious.”

By 9am, most of the vehicles are gone, showing that more working people are beginning their day with a healthy start at the city parks.

Sadiq and his colleagues have been managing the lots for years. They say most frequent visitors stopped coming to the parks during the peak Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021. Now the park visits have returned to pre-Covid levels, which means that parking lanes allocated for cars and motorcycles are crowded by 7am.

Fakhar Iqbal, a retired banker, is not worried about parking options and hassle. He comes to the park on foot with a bag of leftovers from last night’s supper. He serves the breakfast to squirrels and crows at the feet of some trees.

“In my two-decades-long practice, I have made many squirrel friends,” says Iqbal.

“Well, you may say they do not generally make good pets. However, as soon as they see me, they come down and greet me with their leaping gait, which is the best treat to eyes in the morning.” The senior citizen places the food by the trees and waves to a jerky squirrel, and moves on. He has to complete his jogging routine and return home to drop his grandson off at a nearby school.

Hundreds of people dot the jogging tracks of the city parks every morning and, of course, in the evening.

A few yards from the squirrel’s treat, one sees more than two scores of people, ages four to 88, doing something fun. It’s a yoga school run by Dr Iftikhar Ahmed and Dr Moazzam.

Dr Iftikhar has just finished a meditation session and is now holding a laughter therapy drill. As more than 40 people laugh together to, the crowd on the nearby jogging track is hardly distracted. Instead, some smile and wave to the participants as if saying: “Yes, keep doing that.”

Dr Iftikahr has an inspiring story on why he started yoga postures, breathing sessions, and clapping and laughter therapies, first for himself and later for the public.

Eight years ago, he suffered from crippling back pain. Yoga saved him from surgery. For the last six years, he has been leading the mission for the public every morning from 6:45am to 7:45am.

“Join us and give it a try,” says Dr Moazzam.

“Yoga is about mind science. It cures depression, increases immunity and body flexibility, burns fat, relaxes the mind and most importantly accelerates learning.”

In a nearby covered area, up to 50 women are also doing yoga therapy. Dr Iftikhar says the session is led by one of his female pupils.

He introduces me to Ijaz Ahmed, a retired government officer.

“I am 88 years old. I come here for this session from Johar Town,” says Ahmed. He says his early morning workouts keep him active, happy and stress-free.

“This is the best medicine I am taking,” he says when asked about his commitment to the routine.

The park hosts an array of people with all types of backgrounds in the morning to keep them healthy and happy.

People like Liaquat Ali, Sajid Khan, and four others have walked on the tracks seven days a week, three kilometres a day, for years. They met on the track and became friendly with one another.

“The workout routine has made us friends,” says Liaquat of Model Town.

Several such groups meet every morning. There’s a large group of people, chatting, laughing, and arguing. It is best known for the presence of ace writer Mustansar Hussain Tarrar.

Another group is busy having breakfast.

“Yes, breakfast parties have become a norm now,” said canteen operator Qaiser at the Model Town Park.

“Saturdays and Sundays, they turn into brunch parties. We usually serve three or four breakfast parties every day.”

A group of all-senior women, led by Ghawas, is seen discussing local politics.

“We discuss everything under the sun,” says Ms Ghawas. Their group consists of eight members.

“Occasionally, we also party by ourselves.”

“There is no dearth of early risers in the city; we often face problems with parking options for the visitors, which shows that more people have become health conscious.”

Other members say they have been sitting under the tree for almost 25 years. “When we first sat here, the tree was just a plant. Now, it’s a mature, old tree.”

The Racecourse Park is home to a group of friends who find solace in card games. They do not remember how it started and how they met.

“I think the first time we sat here was in 1996,” says Umer Butt.

“No, no. Do you remember when the Benazir government was formed for the second time in the ’90s? We were here,” says another member.

“Whatever the date, the fact is that when the game is over, we all feel relaxed. We are tension free. We all are in our 60s, but none of us suffers from an unhealthy blood pressure or diabates; that is a blessing.”

The card game goes on. Next to the group, Muhammad Usman is coaching a group of people in some workout postures.

Usman is a former first-class cricketer. He coaches several teams under the Pakistan Cricket Board. Some members pay him for his fitness lessons, some do not.

The jogging track has an equal number of women joggers, walkers and runners.

Most of them wear an abaya, a few don regular track outfits.

Rubab Zahra is a runner who loves trying brisk walks in a sporty outfit. She is a communications specialist. As she begins her workout, she puts on her ear-pods and listens to podcasts, which she says helps her ignore those staring at her.

“Moreover, that is when I can fully concentrate on the podcasts that give me ideas for the assignments awaiting me at my desk,” she says.

Shahbano, another regular jogger on the track, takes her morning walk as an expression of empowerment.

“For me, this feeling is surreal,” she says, taking long steps.

“I begin to think of all the good things in life that are underappreciated and sometimes taken for granted. One of these things is to feel free; freedom comes with the ability to think freely. I do this act daily, I feel that I can talk about anything to myself; I am free to think of anything, and the track won’t judge me.”

She says, “it is there to listen to my thoughts and to accept me the way I am.

“This is empowering. Especially in a world full of patriarchy at all levels, the effects of which can be felt in all aspects of our daily lives. As a young female, these 80-90 minutes of running at the start of my day is when I feel the most emancipated. If I am lucky, sometimes this feeling goes on throughout the day.”

The Model Town Park is run by the Model Town Society. The other parks are the responsibility of the Parks and Horticulture Authority.

The parks are in good shape and provide an enabling environment for visitors.

“Of course, the Parvez Elahi government is mindful of the well-being of parks in the city,” says Zain Ali Bhatti, political assistant to the chief minister.

Bhatti, a doctor, works out regularly and acknowledges its benefits for both the body and the mind.

“It enables a person to lead a quality life free from most inhibitions that limit one’s ability to reach one’s true potential,” he says.

“I cannot overstate the merits of an active lifestyle. But most doctors, nutritionists, fitness experts, athletes, psychologists, psychiatrists, and even artists can do this better than I do. So, I will leave it to the more able people.

“I can try and get good funds for the parks so that every visitor gets a happy experience every day while they go for a run early in the morning.”

The writer is a media veteran interested in politics, consumer rights and entrepreneurship