Fragments of Lahore that still exist

Ahmad RafayAlam

Environment lawyer, climate activist and former chairman of the LESCO and the LWMC

I’ll start with the pet peeves: People who sit in the back seat of their car while buying fruits or vegetables. Check your privilege, Sir/ Madam! Have your driver park the car and walk to the shop. God did give you legs for a reason. Entitled twits.

Signal-free U-turns: What psychopath thought it would be a good idea to have two-, three- and four-wheel traffic weave in between one another at different speeds to either take or avoid a turn on these death traps? These things only serve to maintain property prices in far-flung housing schemes. There ought to be a law.

Air pollution: The ambient air in and around the region is trying to kill us. And without anyone doing anything to address the causes of this year-round pollution, I can only see matters getting worse. Lahore is literally unlivable and that’s incredibly depressing.

Now, a few favourite things:

Haji Mango Juice: Opposite Bhati Gate there is a little shop that, during the summer, serves nothing but mango juice, not mango milkshakes, and it’s glorious. An antidote to the hot weather. Best yet is that they change the variety of mangoes they use as the mango season progresses. Visiting regularly is like sampling the best mangoes in the region one at a time.

Baoli Bagh: Between Rang Mahal and Sonehri Masjid in the Walled City, hidden behind a wall of shops, is a small garden that, centuries ago, was a step-well built by Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru of the Sikh faith. The step-well doesn’t exist anymore (it was filled in during the Mughal period), but there is a banyan tree there that’s centuries old. This is the site where the Sikh Granth was prepared before it was taken to its place in Amritsar’s Golden Temple. Despite being in the middle of the Walled City, the bagh is a peaceful space and a powerful reminder of Lahore’s multicultural past.

Anakali’s Sunday Book Bazaar: More interesting and eclectic than the titles you’ll find here are the owners of the bookstores themselves. Do yourself a favour and spend a few minutes chatting to one. Far more interesting than a year’s worth of chat at boring society dinner parties.

Lahore itself: Despite being rendered unrecognisable by decades of sprawl and car-dependent ‘development,’ there are still fragments of Lahore that exist — through the cracks and between the tangle of electricity wires and mobile phone towers, congestion and noise — which, if deciphered, provide a rich history and tradition of culture, of ideas and of people. This Lahore still exists, but is being killed by the smog and signal-free corridors.

Whither Basant?

Durre Akram

Journalist

Back when I was a teenager, I filed a feature for a national newspaper’s metropolitan pages. It was titled Jinhay Lahore Naeen Waikhya O Jammea Ee Naeen. Today, as a mother of two, I stand by my words. I doubt if my children will ever get to see the grandeur and splash of colours across the skies that we witnessed Basant do.

Now, climate change is all the rage, and the government seems incapable of handling our beautiful city’s exploding population. However, even as choked traffic and lack of public spaces make us gasp for a better home and people around us draw comparisons with Islamabad, I want to remind them that no other city has such a big heart to welcome people from all over and make them its own.

“The original Lahore is left to fade”

Zulfiqar Ali Zulfi

Artist, former director of

Alhamra Arts Council

Lahore, a city with a soul, holds a unique place in the hearts of its residents and visitors alike. Trust me that Lahore, known for its vibrant culture, historic architecture and lively spirit, has long been a reflection of the Punjab’s heritage and Pakistan’s diverse identity. Yet, the city’s evolution over the years has sparked a debate about preserving its essence due to urbanisation.

Look at the unmatched grandeur of Lahore’s Walled City, there’s no city like that. We really undervalue the global importance of preserving such cultural landmarks. Despite the establishment of the Walled City of Lahore Authority and efforts to restore the area’s original charm, limited funding has curtailed comprehensive preservation. The iconic buildings and narrow streets, which once held stories of generations, are slowly being replaced by modern plazas and concrete structures.

Lahore’s culture is like a bouquet that simply represents the essence of Pakistan. Yet, I’m worried about its future. There is huge investment in upscale development projects like the DHA, but the original Lahore — that is The Mall, historical downtown and rich heritage — is left to fade. Imagine if even 20 percent of these investments were directed towards restoring old Lahore.

Despite the fading glamour of the city, Lahore is alive and full of activity. The city’s charm will endure only if both the public and the government redeem their responsibility to protect its beauty. Lahore is not just a city, it’s a feeling that stays with you.

“Lahore isn’t perfect, but it’s ours”

Farida Batool

Faculty member, NCA

Let me start with the negatives. Lahore used to be the city of gardens and sophistication. Now, we’re in a mad rush — tearing down the old and beautiful for the new and commercial. Trees that once gave shade and life are vanishing, replaced by decorative plants because they sell better. Medicinal trees like camphor have almost disappeared. It’s heartbreaking to see such disregard for the city’s natural legacy.

My disappointment extends to urban planning, or the lack thereof. Honestly, there’s no balance. Traffic chaos, pollution and an utter absence of public spaces where people can just walk, cycle, or breathe. We’ve prioritised cars and skyscrapers over community and culture. The tolerance, the neighbourly bond that once defined Lahore, seems to be fading. People push and shove in traffic like they’re at war.

Despite these grievances, my love for Lahore shines through. This city still has magic. There’s a pull to Lahore, a magnetism that’s hard to resist. Its streets, its people, its layers of history inspire me every day.

I’m fond of the resilience I see around me in the city. Even with all the issues, there’s hope. People are trying, in small ways, to rebuild. Whether it’s restoring public spaces, fostering book culture, or simply holding on to old traditions, there’s a desire to connect with Lahore’s roots.

The city’s essence lies in its people. Lahoris still dream. They still imagine a better future. If only the government involved them in shaping policies — those who truly live and breathe this city. Education, community and creativity could transform Lahore into a place where all feel safe, connected and proud.

Lahore isn’t perfect, but it’s ours. It’s messy and flawed, but it’s home. No matter how much I criticise it, I’ll always love it.

“It’s a complete package, except maybe for lack of mountains!”

Faiqa Masood Ahad Dar

CEO of High Mindset 12th

Lahore is all about energy — it’s alive, buzzing and full of passion. From professionals who are deeply invested in their work to entrepreneurs creating amazing ventures, the city is brimming with positivity and dedication. You’ll find people here who inspire you to dream bigger and work harder.

The food, the ambiance, the endless variety — it’s a foodie’s paradise. Whether it’s dining out in trendy restaurants or enjoying traditional street food, Lahore’s culinary scene is unmatched.

Lahore is a city that offers almost everything — gardens, historical sites, zoos and plenty of indoor and outdoor activities. It’s a complete package, except maybe for lack of mountains!

When it comes to business opportunities, Lahore is thriving. There are countless institutions here that support entrepreneurs and help businesses grow.

I also have a deep emotional connection to Lahore because of its rich history. Minar-i-Pakistan holds a special place in my heart. It reminds me of Quaid-i-Azam’s inspiring leadership and the vision he had for this country.

Lahore’s shopping malls, cinemas, music events, and Sufi nights make life here even more exciting. I recently attended a Sufi night at the open-air theatre. It was simply magical. The lights, the vibe — everything about Lahore is beautiful.

Of course, no city is perfect. Lahore does have its challenges like traffic and pollution, which can be frustrating at times. But these are minor drawbacks compared to all the amazing things this city has to offer.

“It’s so fascinating to be living in a city that’s not artificially curated”

Ghazi Taimoor

Founder & CEO, The Learning Group; and an instructor at LUMS

The first thing that I absolutely love about the city is the warmth of the Lahoris. We, as Punjabi people, are meant to be — we’re conditioned to be — warm. This runs in our blood. We are friendly people, very hospitable, and it’s something that we take pride in. The other thing related to it is the openness when it comes to feeding one another. We’ll see Lahoris fighting over who gets to pay the bill. We’re very fond of hosting big dinners, and that’s something I feel is a beautiful part of our culture. It’s something that really shapes the identity of the city.

Another thing that I really love about Lahore is the richness of who we are as people. We have, obviously, our Mughal heritage, but we also have our Sikh heritage. We are a city that was once colonised. So there’s an amalgamation of a lot of different identities and different cultures within its subtext.

I’d like to add a word about the city’s varied architecture. Within one city, it’s really difficult to find such varied architectural designs as you find in Lahore. For example, on The Mall, you find the colonial Lahore, and on the Ring Road, you meet a lot of influences of the Mughals and the Hindus and the Sikhs who used to live here. This kind of demographic I didn’t really find within any city of the world.

Even though it might seem like a small thing, it really isn’t, because in a homogenous city, especially an artificially created ‘man-made’ city, you wouldn’t find such diversity.

All this adds so much flavour to your experience of the city. That’s something we take for granted, but if you look at it from the lens of someone who appreciates architecture, you’ll find such beauty that you wouldn’t in any other part of the world.

That diversity and richness is something I find very fascinating, because every single person, community, faction and lineage carries these influences within themselves. When you live in homogenous societies, the diversity and the richness just go away. Lahore is definitely not like that.

The city boasts thousands of years of history. And I’m not just talking about the Walled City; I’m also talking about the puras — Mughalpura, Begumpura, Bhagbanpura, and so on. It’s fascinating to be living in a city that’s not just an artificially curated city. It’s a city that has its roots that are centuries old.

That said, all these pros come with some sort of cons. The biggest one would be the city traffic. The city wasn’t designed to have so many cars in it. Even though we’ve seen a lot of urban development projects launched by the governments in their times, these haven’t kept up with the growing number of cars on the city roads.

Over the past decade, because the traffic has increased alarmingly, smog and smoke in general have become a huge menace, which is so unfortunate. This legacy city, this heritage city, this cultural capital of Pakistan is suffering because of these two factors — smog and smoke.

One thing that I think we Lahoris champion is basically being lax and lazy. We take our own time to get things done. That’s something that frustrates me.

Lastly, we destroyed Basant. It was a beautiful festival. But we, the people, disowned it. That’s very unfortunate.