Several Major Roads in Lahore Were Never Officially Notified

Several major roads in Lahore do not exist in official municipal records, nor has any heritage documentation been formally notified or legally approved for their existence to date.

This was revealed at a session of the Lahore Heritage Areas Revival (LHAR) today, which brought together architects, historians, journalists, and urban planners.

The forum explored the cultural, historical, and civic significance of reviving the city’s traditional nomenclature as part of a broader initiative aimed at preserving and promoting Lahore’s rich heritage and identity.

Participants exchanged views on the historical relevance of various names, the documentation of the city’s past, and the potential impact of such a revival on heritage conservation, tourism, and public awareness.

According to the Deputy Commissioner Lahore, records of the Metropolitan Corporation Lahore do not contain any official archival notification confirming the renaming of around 21 major roads, 18 traditional streets, and 11 chowks and localities.

Only Nicholson Road to Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan Road, later designated under the Roads & Streets Rules 1981, appears to have been formally documented and notified.

Proposed Renaming of Major Roads

Most road names currently in use across Lahore have developed through public usage, historical references, old maps, and signage.

The issue has also led to visible inconsistencies on the ground, where some roads carry dual signboards with different names, while several major roads still display pre-partition names alongside newer or unofficial alternatives.

Jail Road/Ghous-ul-Azam Road and Queen’s Road/Shahrah-e-Fatima Jinnah currently display two different signboards at different locations along the same road.

Signboards on the remaining 18 roads display old names.

Digital mapping platforms have also retained older names for multiple locations.

Google Maps still shows the old names for all 21 roads. Proposed names for kuchas and chowks appear in historical literature, pre-Partition references, old maps, cultural narratives, and public usage.

Some proposals aim to restore pre-Partition or historical identities. Still, none of these proposed changes have been formally approved or notified. Lahore’s road names reflect layered cultural history, but any renaming exercise must go through proper legal notification, documentation, and public consultation.

Still, renaming and notifying major roads with the required approvals are needed to complete the heritage data for Lahore.

The matter has now raised more questions about how Lahore’s road naming system evolved, and whether a standardized official record exists for decades of informal or semi-formal naming practices.

The meeting concluded with a consensus that Lahore’s historic identity constitutes an invaluable legacy, deserving thoughtful preservation for future generations.

The session was attended by Waqar Ahmad, Personal Secretary to Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Mariam Khan (Commissioner Lahore ), Ali Raza (DC Lahore), Babar Ali (AC City), Jehangir Nasir (Journalist), Nayyar Ali Dada (Architect), Kamil Khan Mumtaz (Architect), Kamran Lashari (Secretary), Sajida Vandal (Restoration), Dr Kanwar Khalid (Historian), Muneeza Hashmi (Activist), Raees Ansari (Journalist), Zohaib Butt (V Logger), Saad Zahid (V Logger), Wasif Nagi (Columnist), Ahsan Raza (Minute Mirror), Faheem Ahsan (Architect), Iqbal Qaiser (Punjabi Historian), Dr Mehboob Hussain (Historian), Dr Fauzia Qureshi (Activist), Hafza Ali (Journalist), Farrukh Sohail Gondal (Historian), Salman Rasheed (Historian), Talha Safiq (V logger), Mubbashar Hassan (Conservationist), Mujeeb ur Rehman Shami (Journalist), Zeeshan Hussain (V Logger).