Historic Lahore Names Standoff: Culture vs. Extremism

Plans to restore historical road names in Lahore have been stalled. Despite initial approvals by Maryam Nawaz, backlash from extremist elements has prompted a deferment while discussions continue on the cultural impact. The government faces a cultural challenge in preserving heritage without inciting controversy.

Pakistan's Punjab government has deferred its plan to restore original historical names of roads and several streets in Lahore to avert backlash from extremist elements, an official said on Tuesday.

The Lahore Heritage Areas Revival (LAHR), in its recently held meeting, jointly presided over by PML-N President and three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, gave approval to the restoration of original historical names of roads and streets in Lahore and its neighbourhood.

The Chief Minister's office informed the media about the decision in a statement.

Sharif, who is currently not active in politics after the Feb 2024 general elections, is the head of the LAHR.

The government, however, appears to have taken a U-turn on the decision, saying it is still considering restoring the original names of Lahore's roads and streets.

''No such decision has been taken as yet,'' Lahore Deputy Commissioner Capt R Muhammad Ali Ijaz told Dawn on Monday.

When asked that both Sharif and Maryam had given approval to the restoration of the original names of roads and streets, and the CM office duly issued a handout in this regard on March 20, Ijaz insisted that ''no decision has been taken as yet as the matter is under discussion.''.

An official, however, said that some extremist elements, including vloggers, strongly criticised Maryam for restoring pre-Partition ''Hindu and Sikh'' names of the roads and streets in Lahore.

''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,'' he said speaking on condition of anonymity.

After the backlash from extremist elements, the LHAR recently held a gathering of scholars, historians, architects, urban planners, and other prominent persons and sought their suggestions on the ''proposal'' to restore the original names of roads, streets, and localities across Lahore.

''The forum explored the cultural, historical, and civic significance of reviving the city's traditional nomenclature as part of a broader initiative aimed at preserving and promoting Lahore's rich heritage and identity.

''Participants exchanged views on the historical relevance of various names, the documentation of the city's past, and the potential impact of such a revival on heritage conservation, tourism, and public awareness,'' the LHAR said in a statement after the meeting.

The meeting concluded with a consensus that Lahore's historic identity constitutes an invaluable legacy, deserving thoughtful preservation for future generations. ''Most of the participants spoke in favour of restoring the historical names of the roads and streets of Lahore.''.

Historic streets and roads in Lahore that were renamed in the past by successive governments include Queen's Road (renamed as Fatima Jinnah Road), Jail Road (Allama Iqbal Road), Davies Road (Sir Aga Khan Road), Lawrence Road (Bagh-i-Jinnah Road), Empress Road (Shahrah-i-Abdul Hameed bin Badees), Krishan Nagar (Islampura), Santnagar (Sunnat Nagar), Dharampura (Mustafabad), Brandreth Road (Nistar Road), Temple Street (Hameed Nizami), Laxmi Chowk (Maulana Zafar Ali Khan Chowk), Jain Mandir Road (Babri Masjid Chowk), Ram Gali (Rehman Gali), Kumharpura (Ghaziabad) and Outfall Road (Jilani Road).

Similarly, Mohan Lal Bazaar, Sundar Das Road, Bhagwan Pura Shanti Nagar and many roads/streets were renamed.