Pakistan’s Punjab government has approved a plan to restore the original pre-Partition names of several streets and roads in Lahore as part of an initiative aimed at reviving the city’s historical and cultural heritage, an official said on Monday.The decision was taken during a Punjab Cabinet meeting chaired by Maryam Nawaz. The initiative has been proposed by former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who heads the Lahore Heritage Areas Revival project.According to officials, several historic streets, alleys and neighbourhoods in Lahore had been renamed over the decades, replacing British-era and Hindu-associated names with those linked to Islamic, Pakistani or local figures.”The Punjab Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, a few days ago had approved a plan to restore the original and historical names of various streets and roads in Lahore and its neighbourhood,” a Punjab government official told PTI.Some of the prominent areas proposed for restoration include Queen’s Road, Lawrence Road, Empress Road, Krishan Nagar, Santnagar, Dharampura, Laxmi Chowk, Sant Nagar Jain Mandir Road, Mohan Lal Bazaar, Bhagwan Pura and Shanti Nagar.Officials said the move is intended to revive Lahore’s historical identity and preserve its multicultural past.Separately, Nawaz Sharif has also proposed restoring three cricket grounds and a traditional wrestling arena at Minto Park, now known as Greater Iqbal Park. The move is being viewed by many as an attempt to address criticism over the demolition of these facilities during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s tenure as Punjab chief minister in 2015.Former Pakistan cricket captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was among the players trained at clubs located in Minto Park. Before Partition, legendary Indian cricketer Amarnath had also trained there.The wrestling arena had once hosted legendary wrestlers such as Gama Pehalwan, Goonga Pehalwan and Imam Bakhsh. Before Partition, the park was also a major venue for Dussehra celebrations by Lahore’s Hindu community.PTI inputs