Pakistan’s Punjab provincial government has delayed plans and appears to have made a U-turn on restoring the original historical names of Lahore’s roads and streets amid criticism from extremist groups over the restoration of several pre-partition Hindu and Sikh-era names.The Lahore Heritage Area Rejuvenation (LAHR) Committee had earlier approved the proposal in a meeting co-chaired by Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.The decision was officially announced by the Punjab Chief Office in a statement issued after a meeting in March.However, the government now appears to have abandoned this initiative.“No such decision has been taken yet,” Lahore Deputy Commissioner Capt. R Muhammad Ali Ijaz was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper on Monday, despite an earlier statement confirming approval of the restoration of the original name.When reminded that Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz had approved the proposal, Ijaz insisted that the matter was still “under discussion”.
Government retreats after religious backlash
Extremists and social media vloggers have strongly criticized the government’s move to reinstate “Hindu and Sikh” names on Lahore’s roads and streets, the Press Trust of India news agency quoted an official as saying.“Maryam Nawaz’s government, already at a disadvantage as critics have given the government’s decisions religious overtones, has delayed the decision to avoid a backlash,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.Following the controversy, LAHR convened a meeting of academics, historians, architects, urban planners and other experts to discuss the proposal and seek broader consensus.According to a statement issued by the committee, participants discussed the “cultural, historical and civic significance” of reviving Lahore’s traditional nomenclature as part of efforts to preserve the city’s heritage and identity.“The meeting ultimately reached a consensus that Lahore’s historical character constitutes a valuable heritage worthy of careful preservation for future generations,” the statement said, adding that the majority of participants supported the restoration of the historical designation.
Historic names become bone of contention
The proposal seeks to restore several pre-Partition names that have been changed by successive governments over decades.The roads and locations proposed for rehabilitation include Queen’s Road, renamed Fatima Jinnah Road; Prison Road, renamed Allama Iqbal Road; St. Lawrence Road, now Bagh Jinnah Road; and Empress Road, currently Shahrah-i-Abdul Hameed bin Badees.Other areas that were renamed include Krishan Nagar, now Islampura; Santnagar, now Sunnat Nagar; Dharampura, now Mustafabad; and Laxmi Chowk, now Maulana Zafar Ali Khan Chowk.The initiative aims to restore the pre-partition cultural identity and heritage of Lahore. The initiative was reportedly spearheaded by Nawaz Sharif, head of Lahore Heritage Area Revitalization Project.The former Prime Minister of Pakistan also proposed the restoration of the historic cricket ground and the traditional wrestling ground at Minto Park (now known as the Great Iqbal Park), which had hosted legendary wrestlers such as Gama Pehalwan and Inzamam-ul-Haq and who also trained at the nearby cricket club.
