BAHAWALPUR: After the Punjab government’s decision to move ahead with closure of over 150 years old printing presses, its local management has decided to dispose of its old machinery worth millions of rupees next month.
The government had earlier decided to shut down its printing presses in the public sector, in Lahore and Bahawalpur, amid prevailing uncertainty regarding employees’ future despite a sharp reaction of its hundreds of employees who would face unemployment in the near future.
Dawn learnt that the oldest imported machinery worth millions of rupees and scrap has been scheduled to be auctioned in Bahawalpur on June 2.
Deputy Director Industries, Bahawalpur, Muhammad Zubair Abbasi, who is holding the additional charge of the post of manager of the printing press, confirmed to Dawn that the machinery and its scrap would be auctioned openly on June 2. However, he claimed that only those 15 machines, which were lying idle in the printing press, and the scrap material would be auctioned openly. He made it clear that the machines, presently in working condition, would not be auctioned.
Several sections, machines still operational, only idle machinery being auctioned on June 7; officials say no new order being booked by press for closure
The government has not decided yet about the use of its spacious building adjacent to the office of commissioner on the University Road that is in a good condition.
Dawn learnt that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had approved the summary submitted by the industries department regarding the closure of two government printing presses in Lahore and Bahawalpur.
A former superintendent in the government printing press, Lahore, told Dawn that both printing presses would cease to work in the future in the light of the approved summary. He said the Lahore printing press building was already being demolished but a decision regarding the use of Bahawalpur’s printing press was yet to be made as Bahawalpur’s building was magnificent and in good condition while it could be used for some other purpose.
It is worth-mentioning that several of the sections of the Bahawalpur printing press are still working where most of the machines are still operative and the employees are doing government printing work. According to Mr Abbasi , the printing workers are completing the printings of the previous government orders while no new orders are being booked by the printing press management under the government’s instructions.
The Punjab government has formed a high-level committee to make a decision on the use of the government printing press building, Bahawalpur after its closure. But, no decision regarding the future of its 100 employees has so far been made, raising concerns among the workers who appealed to the CM to shift them to other government departments.
It may be recalled that the Bahawalpur printing press was established in 1863 by the then Bahawalpur State government. The press, which is over 150 years old, was commissioned by the late Nawab Sadiq Mohammad Khan Alhasi 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 of the state.
In 1905, the number of manual use printing machines increased from two to six. By 1907, 24 machines were made operational through a steam engine. Most of these machines were imported from several countries, including Germany. The printing press was then renamed as Sadiqul Anwaar Steam Press. 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.
ACCIDENT: A woman was killed and three other persons suffered injuries in a road accident in Burewala, Vehari district, on Tuesday.
According to Rescue 1122, a truck hit a rickshaw on Arifwala-Lahore road at Mana Mor in Burewaa city. As a result Sakina Bibi was killed while Shehnaz Bibi, Ali Hamza and Asim sustained serious injures and were shifted to Burewala THQ Hospital.
Burewala police detained the driver and impounded his vehicle.
Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2026