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Pakistan’s Punjab government has deferred its plan and appears to take a U-turn to restore the original historical names of roads and streets in Lahore following criticism from extremist groups over the revival of several pre-Partition Hindu and Sikh-era names.The Lahore Heritage Areas Revival (LAHR) committee had earlier approved the proposal during a meeting jointly presided over by Nawaz Sharif and Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz.The Punjab CM’s office had officially announced the decision in a statement issued after the meeting held in March.However, the government now appears to have stepped back from the move.“No such decision has been taken as yet,” Lahore deputy commissioner Capt R Muhammad Ali Ijaz said, as quoted by Dawn on Monday, despite the earlier announcement confirming approval for restoration of the original names.When reminded that Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz had already approved the proposal, Ijaz maintained that the matter was still “under discussion”.
Government retreats after religious backlash
An official quoted by news agency PTI said that extremist elements and social media vloggers strongly criticised the government’s move of restoring “Hindu and Sikh” names to Lahore’s roads and streets.“As the critics gave the government's decision a religious colour, the Maryam Nawaz administration has gone on the back foot and deferred the decision to avert backlash,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
Following the controversy, the LAHR convened another meeting involving scholars, 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 concluded with a consensus that Lahore’s historic identity constitutes an invaluable legacy, deserving thoughtful preservation for future generations,” the statement said, adding that most participants supported restoring the historical names.
Historic names at centre of debate
The proposal sought to revive several pre-Partition names that had been changed over decades by successive governments.Among the roads and localities proposed for restoration were Queen’s Road, renamed as Fatima Jinnah Road; Jail Road, renamed Allama Iqbal Road; Lawrence Road, now Bagh-i-Jinnah Road; and Empress Road, currently Shahrah-i-Abdul Hameed bin Badees.Other renamed areas include Krishan Nagar, now Islampura; Santnagar, changed to Sunnat Nagar; Dharampura, renamed Mustafabad; and Laxmi Chowk, now called Maulana Zafar Ali Khan Chowk.The initiative was aimed at reviving Lahore’s pre-Partition cultural identity and heritage. The move was reportedly spearheaded by Nawaz Sharif, who heads the Lahore Heritage Areas Revival Project.The former Pakistan prime minister had also proposed restoring historic cricket grounds and a traditional wrestling arena at Minto Park, now known as Greater Iqbal Park, which once hosted legendary wrestlers such as Gama Pehalwan and Inzamam-ul-Haq had also trained in nearby cricket clubs.
