Babri Masjid chowk becomes Lahore’s Jain Mandir Road after decades; check all streets renamed by pakistan government of punjab | Today’s news
Pakistan’s Punjab government has approved a proposal to restore the original names of several roads and streets in Lahore as part of efforts to revive the city’s pre-partition heritage, an official said on Monday.
Over the years, many of Lahore’s historic streets, lanes and roads have been renamed, with earlier British-era and Hindu-related names being replaced by names of Islamic, Pakistani or local personalities.
“A Punjab Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz approved a plan a few days ago to restore the original and historical names of various streets and roads in and around Lahore,” PTI quoted a Punjab government official as saying.
He said the move was taken to restore the cultural identity and heritage of the historic city.
He added that the initiative is spearheaded by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is leading the Lahore Heritage Areas Revival project, and that the proposal was approved by the government last week.
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The Lahore administration has approved the restoration of several historical names of streets and localities, replacing their earlier names from the Islamic era with identifiers from the pre-Partition or colonial era.
Old and new street names of Lahore, Pakistan
Sunnat Nagar has been reverted to Sant Nagar while Maulana Zafar Ali Khan Chowk is now restored as Lakshmi Chowk. Mustafaabad was renamed Dharampura and Sir Aga Khan Chowk was changed back to Davis Road. Similarly, Allama Iqbal Road will again be known as Jail Road, Fatima Jinnah Road as Queens Road and Bagh-e-Jinnah as Lawrence Gardens.
Other changes include restoration of Islampura to Krishan Nagar, Hameed Nizami Street to Temple Street, Nishtar Road to Brandreth Road and Rehman Gali to Ram Gali. Babri Masjid Chowk has been renamed Jain Mandir Road while Ghaziabad will now be called Kumharpura. Jeelani Road reverts to Outfall Road and Shahrah-i-Abdul Hameed bin Badees will once again be known as Empress Road.
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The changing names are part of the “Lahore Heritage Area Revival”, a Pakistani government project for Punjab. It is a PKR 50 billion regeneration project launched in 2025 by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and directed by Nawaz Sharif to restore the city’s historical and architectural identity. It is headed by the Lahore Authority for Heritage Revival.
Meanwhile, Nawaz Sharif has also proposed the restoration of three cricket grounds and a traditional ‘akhara’ (wrestling arena) at Minto Park, now known as Greater Iqbal Park, a move some see as an attempt at damage control, a PTI report noted.
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His brother Shehbaz Sharif faced backlash during his tenure as Punjab Chief Minister in 2015 for destroying three historic cricket grounds, club facilities and a wrestling arena as part of a city development project.
Minto Park Cricket Clubs have also produced some notable players including former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq.
Before partition, Indian cricketer Lala Amarnath trained at these clubs in Lahore. When he returned to the city with the Indian cricket team in 1978, he visited Minto Park and spent time with the players of the Crescent Cricket Club, the same club he represented before Partition.
The wrestling arena that once stood in Minto Park hosted matches of renowned wrestlers like Goonga Pehalwan, Imam Bakhsh and Gama Pehalwan.
The park also served as a pre-Partition venue for Hindu communities to celebrate the Dussehra festival.
