PIA Planetarium, Peshawar
| PIA Planetarium, Peshawar | |
|---|---|
Interactive map of the PIA Planetarium, Peshawar area | |
General information | |
| Type | Planetarium |
| Location | Hayatabad Phase II Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan |
Completed | 2 April 2011 |
| Owner | Pakistan International Airlines |
| Operator | Pakistan International Airlines |
The PIA Planetarium, Peshawar is a planetarium in Hayatabad, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is operated by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and was inaugurated on 2 April 2011, becoming the third PIA-operated planetarium in Pakistan after those in Karachi and Lahore.[1] The facility was designed to accommodate about 250 viewers in a single session.[2]
Site and facilities
The planetarium is located in Hayatabad Phase II, near Ghani Bagh and Zarghuni Mosque.[3][4] Its main hall uses a dome-shaped screen for astronomy shows.[3] Its projection technology was imported from Germany at a cost of US$600,000, while another Rs 30 million were spent on the rest of the infrastructure.[1]
History
In August 1984, the president of Pakistan allotted a 30-kanal plot in G-2, Hayatabad, for a PIA planetarium, and PIA received physical possession of the land through an allotment letter dated 27 March 1995.[5] In the 1980s, electronic machinery was imported from Germany for the Peshawar and Quetta planetariums.[2]
In 2008, German engineers installed the machinery, but the project was delayed for years amid administrative problems and the deteriorating law-and-order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.[1][5] The planetarium was formally inaugurated on 2 April 2011 by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain.[1] PIA said the facility would operate on a no-profit, no-loss basis.[1]
Soon after opening, the planetarium drew criticism for neglect. In 2012, it was reported that many rooms were empty, the audio-visual material used in the shows was outdated, and the facility remained obscure even to many residents of Hayatabad.[3]
Despite these problems, the site was also used as a venue for public cultural events in the mid-2010s. The Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa held Hunar Mela at the planetarium in January 2016,[6] and the provincial sports and youth affairs department organized the Hum Jawan youth cultural festival there in April 2016.[7] Another Hunar Mela was held at the planetarium in 2017.[8]
A later dispute arose between PIA and the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) over the land allotment. In 2009, the PDA cancelled the allotment, restored it in 2015 subject to a Rs 60 million payment, withdrew that restoration in 2017 when PIA did not pay, and sealed the premises later that year.[5] In February 2025, an additional district judge ordered that possession of the site be granted to PIA on the condition that the planetarium be made fully functional within three years; otherwise, the plot would revert to the PDA.[5]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Planetarium inaugurated in Peshawar". Dawn. 2 April 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- 1 2 "Planetarium equipment dumped to rot". Dawn. 9 August 2004. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- 1 2 3 Khan, Ismail (11 November 2012). "PIA builds a planetarium and then forgets about it". Dawn. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ "Draws to a close: Huner Mela ends amid food, song". The Express Tribune. 17 January 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Peshawar court asks civic agency to grant possession of planetarium land to PIA". Dawn. 27 February 2025. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ "Families throng Hayatabad on first day of Hunar Mela". The News International. 16 January 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ "Two-day Hum Jawan cultural festival kicks off". The News International. 10 April 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ "Hunar Mela pulls crowds". The News International. 7 May 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2026.