Pakistan’s Punjab government has approved a plan to restore several historic pre-Partition names across Lahore and nearby areas, according to officials quoted by PTI.
For decades, many of Lahore’s streets, chowks, and neighbourhoods carried names tied to Pakistan’s post-Partition identity. But now, some of the city’s oldest names — erased after 1947 — could return once again.
The decision includes reviving names associated with Hindu, Sikh, and Jain communities that once formed a major part of Lahore’s cultural landscape before Partition changed the city forever.
Among the biggest changes proposed is the possible return of Krishan Nagar, which had been renamed Islampura after Partition.
Several other renamed roads and localities are also expected to be reviewed under the heritage restoration project.
The move was reportedly approved during a Punjab cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and is being pushed under the Lahore Heritage Areas Revival Project led by Nawaz Sharif.
Officials said the goal is to revive Lahore’s historical and cultural identity.
Pakistan Lahore name change: Which places may get their old names back?
The list includes some of Lahore’s most recognisable roads and neighbourhoods.
Over the years, many colonial-era and pre-Partition names had been replaced with names linked to Pakistani leaders, Islamic figures, or national icons.
Some of the key changes being considered include:
- Islampura becoming Krishan Nagar
- Sunnat Nagar turning back into Sant Nagar
- Mustafabad reverting to Dharampura
- Hameed Nizami Road becoming Temple Street again
- Nishtar Road returning to Brandreth Road
- Rehman Gali changing back to Ram Gali
- Babri Masjid Chowk becoming Jain Mandir Road again
- Ghaziabad reverting to Kumharpura
- Jeelani Road becoming Outfall Road again
- Fatima Jinnah Road returning to Queen’s Road
- Allama Iqbal Road becoming Jail Road again
- Sir Aga Khan Road reverting to Davies Road
- Bagh-i-Jinnah Road changing back to Lawrence Road
- Shahrah-i-Abdul Hameed bin Badees reverting to Empress Road
- Maulana Zafar Ali Khan Chowk becoming Laxmi Chowk again
Now, authorities are considering restoring several original names as part of Lahore’s heritage revival push.
Why is Pakistan restoring pre-Partition names in Lahore?
According to Punjab government officials, the move is aimed at preserving Lahore’s historic identity rather than making a political statement.
Lahore, before Partition in 1947, was home to large Hindu and Sikh communities alongside Muslims. Many areas of the city reflected that shared cultural history through their names, temples, markets, and public spaces.
After Partition, several names were changed as part of nation-building and identity shifts in the newly formed Pakistan.
Now, decades later, the government says it wants to reconnect parts of Lahore with their original historical roots.
Is this linked to Lahore’s larger heritage revival project?
Yes — and cricket is strangely part of the story too.
The project also includes restoring three historic cricket grounds and a traditional wrestling arena at Minto Park, now known as Greater Iqbal Park.
The proposal has drawn attention because former Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif had faced criticism years earlier for demolishing cricket clubs and akharas in the same area during an urban redevelopment drive.
The historic grounds were once used by cricket legends, including Inzamam-ul-Haq.
Before Partition, Indian cricket icon Lala Amarnath had also trained there.
The old wrestling arena at Minto Park was once associated with legendary wrestlers like Gama Pehalwan and Imam Bakhsh.
For many people, this is not just about street signs.
The story has sparked conversations around memory, identity, and what cities choose to preserve — or erase — over time.
For some, restoring old names is a way of acknowledging Lahore’s multicultural past before Partition divided millions of families across India and Pakistan.
(With TOI inputs)
