LAHORE, Jan 13: The City District Government of Lahore has sent a summary to the Punjab chief minister seeking his approval for naming/renaming of various city roads, intersections and interchanges after renowned personalities.

According to rules, the CDGL is required to get the CM’s approval after recommendation/permission from the quarters concerned, including the administrator/DCO, commissioner, Local Government and Community Development Department secretary and the chief secretary.

The summary, forwarded by DCO Noorul Amin Mengal, recommended naming/renaming GT Road Interchange, Old Club Road, Main Shadman Chowk (Jail Road), Behkeywal Chowk, Model Town Park Roundabout and Kutchehry Chowk after Sher Shah Suri, Hashim Khan, Habib Jalib, Waris Mir, Hafeez Jalandhri and Prof Dr Nazeer Ahmad, respectively.

It stated the decision had been first taken by a sub-committee entrusted with this task exclusively and then the main advisory committee constituted to propose and recommend restoration work required for various historical buildings, suggest naming/renaming city spots and float ideas for the beautification and uplift of the provincial capital under the Dilkash Lahore Project (DLP) launched by the CDGL.

“The CDGL, in light of the decision of the advisory committee, headed by Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday retired, seeks approval from the CM finally in this regard after it advertised naming/renaming these city spots in four national newspapers on Dec 19 for inviting public suggestions/objections (if any) under the Punjab Local Councils Road and Street Rules, 1981,” the summary read.

Officials said the CDGL had earlier sent a summary seeking the CM’s approval about naming/renaming as many as 26 spots after renowned personalities of the subcontinent, including Bhagat Singh.

The summary, the officials said, recommended naming the underpasses at Doctors Hospital, Jinnah Hospital, New Campus, Muslim Town, Ferozepur Road, FC College, Jail Road, The Mall, Dharampura, Mughalpura, Harbanspura, Canal Road and Barki Road (at the GT Road) after Chaudhry Rehmat Ali, Chaakar-e-Azam Rind, Khushhal Khan Khattak, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, Liaquat Ali Khan, Justice AR Cornelius, Waris Shah, Bulleh Shah, Hussain Shaheed Suharwardi, Habba Khatoon, Jogindar Lal Mandal and Col Mirza Hassan Khan Gilgiti, respectively.

It also suggested naming the Model Town underpass after Faiz Ahmad Faiz, the Niazi, Ravi, Mahmood Booti and Babu Sabu interchanges after Ikramullah Niazi, Ustad Daman, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Sadequain, respectively.

Similarly, it suggested naming Saggian bridge after Justice AR Kayani, Akbar Chowk (Township) after Jalaluddin Akbar, 7-up Chowk (Gulberg) after Waheed Murad, Fawara Chowk (Shadman) after Bhagat Singh, Hamdard Chowk after Hakeem Muhammad Saeed, Cooperative Chowk after Allama Rasheed Turabi, Fort Road after Maulana Abdul Qadir Azad, Istanbul Chowk after Patras Bukhari and Qaddafi Stadium Road (Main Gate to Liberty) after Hafeez Kardar.

The officials said the commissioner, local government secretary and the chief secretary had also accorded approval to the aforementioned decision mentioned in the summary and it finally awaited the CM’s approval.

They said the committees, while recommending Fawara Chowk (Shadman) be named after Bhagat Singh, quoted remarks by Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah about him in his speech on Sept 13, 1947. “Quaid-e-Azam too appreciated Bhagat Singh in his speech on Sept 13, 1947,” DLP committee’s minutes of meeting read while quoting a member defending his stance to name the intersection after Singh.

It also mentioned Justice Ramday retired as saying Islam as well as the constitution had always respected and protected rights of minorities, including Sikhs, Hindus, Christians and others.