BAHAWALPUR: Workers of the historic Bahawalpur Government Printing Press, established some 159 years ago, have expressed their shock over the Punjab government’s decision to close down the press.

Official sources, on the condition of anonymity, told Dawn that in a recent meeting in Lahore, the Punjab government had decided to close down the historic press of Bahawalpur along with the Lahore’s printing press.

The sources claimed that the decision was taken to reduce the government expenditure and a summary in this connection had been forwarded to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for approval.

Furthermore, the sources claimed that a three-member committee comprising Bahawalpur commissioner, Punjab additional chief secretary and industries secretary had been constituted. The committee had been tasked with examining the list of available machinery and the possible future use of the site, and submit its recommendation to the government.

The 159-year-old press was established by Late Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi IV in 1867

The press, which is over 150 years old, was commissioned by Late Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi IV in 1867 on the Baghdad Road and named the Sadiqul Anwaar Steam Press.

The press was tasked with publishing the State’s official gazettes. It was initially a lithograph, where only Urdu documents could be printed, however, after a few months the press was ready to publish English documents.

Initially, its major publication was the weekly Sadiqul Akhbar Gazette, which was followed by the publication of annual administrative reports of various government departments.

In 1905, the number of manual printing machines was increased from two to six. By 1907, in order to improve the efficiency of the system, 24 machines were made operational through a steam engine. The printing press was then renamed to Sadiqul Anwaar Steam Press. Then in 1924, the system underwent another change when electricity was installed to run the press and hence was called the Sadiqul Anwaar Electric Press. For this purpose, electricity was produced with generators, which were installed behind the building of the press.

Before the partition, the printing press was controlled and managed by the British political agent and superintendent and after the Bahawalpur State’s annexation to Pakistan in October 1947, the press was renamed as the Government Printing Press.

During a visit to the printing press, an official of the Punjab industries department, Muhammad Zubair Abbasi, holding the additional charge as the printing press superintendent, told Dawn that the press housed several printing machines imported from abroad from time to time. Most of the machines of the press were operational in its vast building, however, a few old machines were lying idle in the building’s courtyard.

Workers of the press, after being informed of the development that the press would be shut down, held a protest demonstration against the move.

Talking to Dawn, some workers of the press demanded that the chief minister should modernise the facility by providing the latest machinery instead of shutting down this historic press.

Local political and social circles also regretted the government’s move to close down the oldest institution of the defunct Bahawalpur State. They expressed the hope that the government circles concerned would reconsider their decision in the larger interest of the local workers and preserve this historic press.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2026