LAHORE: The provincial government on Tuesday started removing a statue of national poet Allama Iqbal from Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park to make improvements after its design was severely criticised on social media for being ‘inappropriate’.

However, the gardeners, who are said to have built the statue with their own resources, said it would be destroyed if such a huge structure was first removed, shifted to another place and then improved.

“The statue is made up of a huge structure over 13-foot high and nine-foot wide with concrete, steel, plaster of Paris and other material. We made it in pieces at a nearby nursery, shifted them to the park and then assembled it with the required material,” Ghulam Sibtain, the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) assistant director who was suspended for taking the initiative, told Dawn. “If someone tries to lift such a huge statue in the same position, it will break, making it unable for us or the experts to improve its face and other parts.”

On the other hand, PHA Director General (DG) Jawad Qureshi said he would make maximum efforts to get the statue lifted and shifted to another place for improvement with extreme caution and care. “The process to remove the statue has been started and it will be completed with extreme care and caution. I will also ensure the statue is improved by the same people who made it in the first place to pay homage to Allama Iqbal in a park named after him,” he maintained.

The artwork of the statute stirred a debate on social media, becoming a top trend on Twitter after journalist Hamid Mir tweeted: “Sir Waleed Iqbal Sahib: Don You know whose statue of this? Does it really look like of Allama Iqbal. Your government thinks it a statue of Allama Iqbal, as it got it displayed this after getting it made by someone on some recommendation. It is really sad.”

Journalist Asma Shirazi wrote on the social media platform: “Allama Iqbal has been changed in new Pakistan.” A Twitter user, Sabir Nazir, commented: “Pakistan is the land of Gandhara Sculpture -- even 3500 years ago we had more skilled sculptors in Mohenjidaro. This not a sculpture of Iqbal but monument of mediocrity.”

Meanwhile, the PHA suspended a director as well as Assistant Director Sibtain for building the statue without permission. “We believe that the officials made this as a sign of great devotion but they should have obtained permission for it,” the DG said. “I have also issued a notification barring everyone from conducting such an activity in future without permission.”

Sibtain said the statue was yet to be completed. “It is still incomplete, as we were giving it a final shape these days. But unfortunately, I was transferred about a couple of weeks ago. The official who replaced me, perhaps, didn’t pay attention to its completion that led to public criticism,” he deplored. “But no one appreciated us for making Iqbal’s statue in a park named after him. It is sad.”

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2021