Pakistan Punjab to Rename Lahore Localities: Islampura May Become Krishan Nagar Again, Fatima Jinnah Road Queen's Road

New Delhi: The Punjab government in Pakistan has approved a proposal to rename several streets and neighbourhoods in Lahore with their pre-Partition names as part of an effort to preserve the city’s historical heritage.

The decision was taken at a Punjab Cabinet meeting chaired by Maryam Nawaz, according to a Punjab government official, the Tribune reported.

The plan was proposed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who heads the Lahore Heritage Areas Revival project.

Officials, speaking to news agency PTI, said that a number of roads, streets and neighbourhoods in Lahore had been renamed over the years, with British-era and Hindu-associated names replaced by names linked to Islamic, Pakistani or local figures.

The areas proposed for restoration include Queen’s Road, Lawrence Road, Empress Road, Krishan Nagar, Santnagar, Dharampura, Laxmi Chowk, Sant Nagar Jain Mandir Road, Mohan Lal Bazaar, Bhagwan Pura and Shanti Nagar, the report said.

At present, for instance, Queen's Road is known as Fatima Jinnah Road, Lawrence Road as Bagh-i-Jinnah Road, Empress Road as Shahrah-i-Abdul Hameed bin Badees, Krishan Nagar is Islampura, and so on.

According to officials, the initiative is aimed at restoring Lahore’s historical identity and recognising its multicultural past.

Separately, Nawaz Sharif has proposed the restoration of three cricket grounds and a traditional wrestling arena at Minto Park, now known as Greater Iqbal Park.

The proposal comes amid criticism over the demolition of these facilities during the tenure of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as Punjab chief minister in 2015.

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