Plan to Restore Pre-Partition Road Names in Lahore Deferred

The Punjab government has reportedly deferred its plan to restore the original historical names of roads and streets in Lahore following criticism from certain groups, according to a report published by Dawn.

The proposal was discussed during a meeting of the Lahore Heritage Areas Revival (LAHR) held in March and jointly presided over by PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz. The meeting had approved the restoration of several original pre-Partition names of roads and streets in Lahore and nearby areas.

According to Dawn, some vloggers and religious groups criticized the proposal and gave it a religious angle, after which the provincial administration appeared to step back from the decision to avoid public backlash.

When contacted by Dawn, Lahore Deputy Commissioner retired Capt. Muhammad Ali Ijaz said no final decision had yet been taken regarding the restoration of historical names and maintained that the matter was still under discussion.

The report stated that the LAHR recently held a consultation session with historians, architects, urban planners, scholars and other prominent citizens to seek recommendations on the proposal.

According to Dawn, participants at the meeting largely supported restoring Lahore’s historical street and road names, describing the city’s historic identity as an important cultural legacy that should be preserved.

Over the years, several roads and localities in Lahore were renamed, replacing British-era or Hindu-associated names with names linked to Pakistani, Islamic or local historical figures. These include Queen’s Road renamed as Fatima Jinnah Road, Jail Road as Allama Iqbal Road, Davies Road as Sir Aga Khan Road and Krishan Nagar as Islampura, among others.