MR Haseeb deserves complements for drawing the attention of readers towards excessive enthusiasm shown by Pakistanis towards changing the names of places (Dec 12). Even the names of benefactors have not been spared. It is relevant to point out that much earlier the name of Jahangir Kothari Park in Karachi too was changed. There has been a mania to change the names of cities and places ever since Pakistan came into being. Cities bearing Hindu and Sikh names have been a particular target. Even, the benefactors have not been spared.

There is a town in Lahore district (now in Kasur) which was until recently known as Van Radha Ram after the name of the father of Sir Ganga Ram who founded many charitable and welfare institutions in Punjab from which we are now benefiting. Its name was changed some years back to Habib Kot. Most of the people do not know as to who is the person whose name it now carries.

In the early 1970s, the name of a well-known town in Balochistan was changed from Hindu Bagh to Muslim Bagh. Even a provincial government of a secular political party that was in power in Balochistan at that time could not resist. The names of Lyallpur and Montgomery, founded by a Britisher who made significant contributions to their development, were changed to Faisalabad and Sahiwal, respectively, without any cogent reason.

We often hear demands about changing the names of Haripur, Abbottabad and Jacobabad.

It is relevant to mention that in India several important cities, including state capitals, continue to bear Muslim names such as Allahabad, Ahmadabad and Hyderabad. There has been no attempt to change them.

Even a well-known road named after Emperor Aurangzeb still exists in New Delhi. Near our border, there are towns called Ferozepur and Faridkot.

We do hope that the PPP government, which believes in enlightened moderation, will not only curb this practice but will also restore all old names.

R. R. ALVI Lahore