SIALKOT, Nov 8: The news that the historical Iqbal Manzil, the birthplace of Allama Iqbal, would be restored brought relief to the people of Sialkot, but they had no idea that it takes more than verbal assurances to fulfill a commitment.

Last year, the government had undertaken repairs of the outer walls of the Iqbal Manzil as part of its project to preserve the national heritage under the supervision of senior architects and engineers, but it stopped the project for the reasons best known to the authorities concerned.

A source told Dawn that Rs500,000 were required for repairing the over 148-year-old building which had long been crying for measures to preserve it. Neither the district government had allocated the money for the national treasure nor had the businessmen honoured their commitment that they would bear the cost of the Iqbal Manzil project.

A recent visit to the Iqbal Manzil revealed that instead of filling the cracks with concrete, the officials had tried to hide them by displaying large portraits of Iqbal after whitewashing the walls.

The building remains a prohibited place for the people, especially intellectuals and educationists who miss the opportunity of being in the company of what was once considered a rare collection of books. The low-capacity UPS system remains unable to light the entire building which remains in darkness.

Syed Riaz Husain Shah, the in-charge Iqbal Mazil, told Dawn that the walls had been covered with flex boards carrying Iqbal’s photos to give the place a new look. As for the cracks, he said, the building was in need of mega development instead of merely filling the cracks.—Abid Mehdi