Lahore Restores Pre-Partition Names of Historic Streets and Localities

In a major cultural heritage drive, Pakistan's Punjab Cabinet approves renaming iconic areas like Islampura back to Krishan Nagar.

Reversing Decades of Renaming

Nearly eighty years after the bloody lines of Partition divided the subcontinent, the historic city of Lahore is officially bringing back its pluralistic past by restoring ancestral Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and British colonial-era names to its public roads and neighborhoods. The landmark administrative decision was finalized during a Punjab provincial Cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

The cultural preservation move reverses decades of post-1947 rebrandings that had replaced multi-faith historical landmarks with local nationalist and Islamic titles.

Back to Krishan Nagar and Sant Nagar

Under the newly approved legislative guidelines issued by provincial authorities, nine prominent urban zones and major intersections are undergoing immediate signage overhauls. Most notably, the commercial hub of Islampura has formally reverted to its historical identity as Krishan Nagar.

Similarly, Sunnat Nagar has been changed back to Sant Nagar, while Mustafaabad has reclaimed its century-old title of Dharampura. In the heart of the city, the busy intersection previously known as Babri Masjid Chowk has legally taken back its popular pre-partition name, Jain Mandir Chowk.

The Everyday Language of Lahoris

For local residents and heritage lovers, the administrative shift is a welcome step that bridges the gap between formal records and oral history. Despite official state changes over the decades, everyday citizens, rickshaw drivers, and market traders had persistently used the old ancestral names in daily conversation.

"The old names never truly died on the streets of Lahore," noted a senior officer connected with the Lahore Heritage Areas Revival Project, an initiative spearheaded by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Restoring Shared Punjabi Heritage

The sweeping preservation drive extends beyond street names. The revival project has mandated the reconstruction of three historical cricket grounds and a traditional wrestling arena at Minto Park, now known as Greater Iqbal Park. Before the 1947 division, these grounds were shared training fields for subcontinental legends like Lala Amarnath and wrestling icons like Gama Pehalwan.

By deliberately restoring these multi-faith landmarks, the regional administration aims to transform the city into a pluralistic historical hub, preserving its deep-rooted connection to undivided Punjab for future generations.