RAWALPINDI: The covered market for meat and grocery, known to residents of the city as ‘Kamran Market’, was built by British rulers of the subcontinent over a century ago.

The market, which remained in a poor state for many years, has finally caught the attention of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) which has decided to renovate the building due to its historical importance.

The restoration work will begin next month and follow the pattern of Lahore’s Tollington Market. However, there are still many dissenting voices calling for the demolition of the historic building and its replacement with a commercial plaza.

The British built the market near Babu Mohalla in 1900 to facilitate the British officers of the garrison city in buying meat and grocery in a covered place. After the departure of the British, the meat market became favourite among the local people for buying fresh beef, fish and poultry.

RCB says Rs6m allocated for the project, work on which will start soon

However, over the last one-and-a-decade the market, which houses over 60 meat shops, has been neglected. The drains are choked with blood and rotting pieces of meat due to which a foul smell greets anyone entering the market.

The market is also home to a huge population of stray cats who sometimes even venture inside the stalls to steal pieces of meat.

The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has not even deputed sanitation staff to keep the market clean.

Abdullah Khan, a resident of Kashmir Road, said the market was very popular, especially on Sundays. He said people can buy white and red meat, adding the prices were always affordable as the cantonment food inspectors frequently visited the market.

“Unfortunately, some traders want to convert the market into a shopping mall due to its location by providing wrong suggestions to the cantonment officials,” he added.

Yasir Ali, a resident of Saadi Road, said the restoration of the covered market was needed. “The British constructed this building to provide a safe place for shopping, especially for women,” he said.

The shopkeepers in the market said the RCB should renovate the market without displacing the old shopkeepers.

“I have been working in this market for 25 years. We pay Rs1500 to Rs3000 per month rent to the RCB,” Mohammad Sohail, a shopkeeper in the market, told Dawn.

Mohammad Bilal, a butcher, said there was a shortage of water in the market and the RCB should improve the water supply during the renovation work.

RCB Cantonment Executive Officer Fahim Zafar Khan said the RCB would soon start work to renovate the market and restore it to its original shape. “We will restore the market on the pattern of Tollington Market in Lahore,” he said.

The official said Rs6 million had been allocated for the project. “The RCB wants to preserve the cultural heritage of the city and improve the condition of the market,” he added.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2014