LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has been asked to order Punjab government to change the names of the public institutions and places named after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for being a convict.

A citizen, Raza Khan, filed a writ petition through Advocate Nadeem Sarwar, saying the name of any road, street, public park, town, city or a government institution is not the property of the government as it belongs to all citizens, including residents of the said area.

He argues that there is a lack of logic in naming or renaming roads, streets, public parks, educational and health institutions after Nawaz Sharif, a disqualified prime minister.

The petitioner contends that naming the institutions and roads after a person who is “dishonest” and a proclaimed offender is not only “illegal” but also tantamount to “mocking the people of Pakistan”.

He asks the court to declare that naming of any street, road, government institution, town, or city after Nawaz Sharif “who has no positive social role, or exceptional dedication that brings any special credit to Pakistan” as illegal and against the basic rights of the citizens of the country.

He asks the court to order the government authorities to remove the signboards of the institutions named after Sharif and rename all these [places, institutions etc] after the founding fathers and intellectuals.

As per a list provided by the petitioner, the institutions named after the former prime minister include Nawaz Sharif Road, Walton Railway Officers Colony, Lahore; Government Nawaz Sharif Girls Degree College, Sialkot; Government Nawaz Sharif Associate College for Women, Mandi Bahauddin; Government Mian Nawaz Sharif Degree College, Sargodha; Government Girls Nawaz Sharif High School No 2, Hazro, Attock; Government Nawaz Sharif High School, Lala Musa; Government Nawaz Sharif Girls High school, Mozang, Lahore; Nawaz Sharif Flyover, Ghulshan Colony, Lahore; Nawaz Sharif Social Security Hospital, Multan Chungi, Lahore, Government Nawaz Sharif Hospital Yakki Gate, Lahore; Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture, Multan, Mian Nawaz Sharif University of Engineering and Technology, Multan.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2021