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RAWALPINDI The once majestic haveli of Rai Bahadur Soojan Singh that still stands cramped between the narrow streets of Bhabra Bazaar is crumbling for lack of proper maintenance. Built in 1893 by the Rai Bahadur as residence for his family, it also served as a kind of museum for his family pictures, antique objects, Victorian furniture, precious China and silverware etc., but now its large rooms and ante chambers lie vacant and it gives the looks of a haunted palace in ruins.
Over the years since partition of the Indian Subcontinent it has housed refugees from Kashmir from whom it was got vacated by General Ziaul Haque who handed it over to nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan to house a science college for girls but that project for some reasons did not see the light of the day.
Later the former Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed decided to turn it into a campus of the Fatima Jinnah Women's University. However this plan too could not materialise due to its present congested location in a busy commercial area. The university is now planning to start a project named School of Cultures, Heritage, Architechture and Designs for girls. This project too may die as there are no funds available for it.
Rai Bahadur Soojan Singh was an eminent personality of his day. He had a royal taste and temperament. The haveli that he built was a virtual palace with a majestic throne made of gold and bedrooms furnished with ivory furniture. In the courtyards peacocks danced and a tiger strolled through the corridors. Live music filled the evenings. The haveli had its own water supply system with a well connected to 30 lines.
Visitors marveled at the intricate woodwork on the doors and windows and the bridge that spanned the two sections of the building with balconies overlooking the courtyard. The covered area of the haveli was 24,000 sq.ft (2,230 sq. meters) spread over four stories comprising 45 rooms lit on evenings by huge lamps and chandeliers.
In place of that glittering structure there now stands a dark hulk where huge bats fly at night. All of its adornments that still remained after it had been plundered by local people, were pulled out by the refugees and sold away for pennies.
The decision to establish the School of Culture, Heritage, Arts, Architecture and Design Education (SCHAADE) was made by the FJWU in view of the building's importance as a monument, said Syed Zille Abbas, Director Projects of the university. The project is to cost Rs50 million. The PC-1has been completed and funds are awaited to start work. The plan is to start 10 short courses for students of down town area of the city, the director said.
Residents of the area are doubtful if the project would take off. They are of the view such projects are announced to make political noise but are not feasible like the present University project which is located in a congested area without any approach for girl students.
Previously also the place was offered to a number of educational institutions and social welfare organizations but they found the place to be unusable as there was no road nearby and no place for parking.
