- Lahore is restoring pre-partition Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and colonial locality names on official signboards
- The renaming is part of Punjab’s Lahore Heritage Area Revival project led by Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz
- The initiative aims to preserve heritage, boost tourism, and generate revenue for Pakistan’s government
Nearly eighty years after partition, the streets of Pakistan's Lahore are shedding their Islamised identity by returning to their older Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and colonial names. Now, the official signboards of Islampura read Krishan Nagar, Babri Masjid Chowk has reverted to Jain Mandir Chowk, and Rehman Gali is back to being called Ram Gali.
Over the past two months, at least nine locations have already been renamed, and many others are ready to go back to their "old glory".
List Of Locality Names Being Restored
Islamic Name | Restored Name |
| Sunnat Nagar | Sant Nagar |
| Maulana Zafar Ali Khan Chowk | Lakshmi Chowk |
| Mustafaabad | Dharampura |
| Sir Aga Khan Chowk | Davis Road |
| Allama Iqbal Road | Jail Road |
| Fatima Jinnah Road | Queens Road |
| Bagh-e-Jinnah | Lawrence Gardens |
| Islampura | Krishan Nagar |
| Hameed Nizami Road | Temple Street |
| Nishtar Road | Brandreth Road |
| Rehman Gali | Ram Gali |
| Babri Masjid Chowk | Jain Mandir Road |
| Ghaziabad | Kumharpura |
| Jeelani Road | Outfall Road |
| Shahrah-i-Abdul Hameed bin Badees | Empress Road |
Who's Behind The Renaming Drive
The renaming campaign is part of a much larger 'Lahore Heritage Area Revival' (LHAR) project of Pakistan's Punjab government, which aims to revive the country's cultural capital to its pre-partition heritage. It is former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's ambitious dream project, worth 50 billion PKR, to restore the city's architectural and cultural fabric after decades of neglect, haphazard urbanisation and ideological rewriting.
It was started by Sharif and his daughter, the current chief minister of Punjab province, Maryam Nawaz, in 2025. The government argues that, like European nations, Pakistan, too, should preserve the historical heritage of its cities rather than erase it. A major objective behind this initiative is to promote heritage tourism, thereby generating revenue for the government.
The Minto Park Controversy
Sharif has also proposed the restoration of three cricket grounds and a traditional 'akhara' (wrestling arena) at Minto Park (Greater Iqbal Park) -- which is being widely perceived as a damage control strategy.
Sharif's brother, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during his tenure as the chief minister of Punjab in 2015, faced heavy criticism for demolishing three historical cricket grounds, areas under cricket clubs and a wrestling arena as part of an urban development programme.
Several cricketers, like former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq, were trained in these cricket clubs in Minto Park.
Before the Partition, Indian cricketer Lala Amarnath also went for training in these clubs. When Amarnath visited Lahore with the Indian cricket team in 1978, he went to Minto Park and spent time with the players of the Crescent Cricket Club, for which he used to play till the Partition happened.
The demolished wrestling arena in Minto Park once witnessed bouts by veterans such as Goonga Pehalwan, Imam Bakhsh and Gama Pehalwan.
Before Partition, Hindus would celebrate the festival of Dussehra in Minto Park.
Real Reason Behind Name Change
History bears witness that, ever since the partition, the plight of minorities in Pakistan-- particularly Hindus and Sikhs -- has been a matter of grave concern. Incidents involving their oppression, forced conversions, encroachment upon their properties, and the demolition of historical temples have surfaced with alarming regularity. However, surprisingly, the name change drive has unfolded with almost no organised opposition in a country shaped by decades of Islamisation.
By restoring old names, Pakistan seeks to demonstrate to the global community, particularly Western nations, that it is shedding its "radical image" to evolve into a tolerant, inclusive, and multicultural nation, thereby facilitating access to diplomatic and economic assistance.
Pakistan has long attracted international scrutiny over allegations of terror financing, costing its economy billions of dollars. By restoring colonial-era names in a major cultural hub like Lahore, Pakistan seeks to construct a narrative suggesting that it is leaving extremism behind, a move aimed at preventing the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) or other global institutions from reimposing stringent sanctions upon it.
Islamabad is also entirely dependent on an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout package for survival. The IMF does not merely scrutinise economic data but also keeps a watchful eye on a country's political stability and social climate. This charade of renaming also reassures foreign investors and the IMF that the country is becoming a safe and liberal destination for investment.
