LAHORE: The divisional administration on Saturday inaugurated the newly beautified Istanbul Chowk near Town Hall, stating the project would reflect peace, brotherhood and harmony with Turkey.

The intersection has been beautified under the Lahore Beautification Project with expertise of the National College of Arts, Punjab University, University of Engineering and Technology, arts and urban development experts and the Lahore Biennale Foundation. It would be maintained daily and the Turkish government would also own it.

“Before this project, a boat was fixed on this intersection reflecting no message or artwork that could please passersby despite the fact that its name was Istanbul Chowk. After undertaking the assignment, we involved experts from various aforementioned institutions, groups who presented various models of the intersection,” Lahore Commissioner Abdullah Sumbal told Dawn after inaugurating the site.

He said after a competition among experts, a jury comprising leading urban planners, artwork experts Nayyar Ali Dada and Rashid Rana selected one design, giving the divisional authorities a go-ahead to build it.

“Thousands of pigeons fly by this intersection and people feed them. So the central place of the intersection now has a pole with hundreds of bird houses,” he explained.

He said the design reflected positive feelings among humans and birds, hence the site would leave positive impacts. Some other sites in the city had also been earmarked for beautification, he added.

SUNDAR: City District Government of Lahore distributed relief cheques worth Rs300,000 each among workers injured in the Sundar factory collapse incident.

The district coordination officer distributed the cheques among injured workers admitted to Jinnah Hospital, according to a spokesman.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2015

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