Pakistan court issues notice to Punjab govt for not naming Lahore Chowk after Bhagat Singh despite order

Lahore: A Pakistani court on Monday issued notices to the Punjab provincial government and the district administration on a petition seeking contempt proceedings against three top officials for not complying with the court's order regarding naming the Shadman Chowk in Lahore after Indian Independence war hero Bhagat Singh.

Lahore High Court Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza issued notices to Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Deputy Commissioner Lahore Rafia Haider, and the city administrator on the petition filed by the Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation Pakistan.

"The LHC issued the notices to the respondents for submitting a reply on the contempt petition for their failure to name the Shadman Chowk after Bhagat Singh by March 26," Imtiaz Rasheed Qureshi, chairman of the Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation, told PTI after the hearing.

Qureshi said the LHC in 2018 had ordered the government to name Shadman Chowk, the place where Bhagat Singh was hanged in 1931, after the freedom fighter.

"But both the provincial and district governments deliberately did not comply with the LHC's order, thus committing contempt," he said.

Bhagat Singh, who fought for the independence of the subcontinent, was hanged by British rulers on March 23, 1931, along with Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar after being tried under charges of hatching a conspiracy against the regime.

Singh was initially jailed for life but later awarded the death sentence in another “fabricated case”.

Bhagat Singh is respected in the subcontinent not only by Sikhs and Hindus but also Muslims.

Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah had reportedly twice paid him tribute during his speech in the central assembly, saying there had never been another brave person in the subcontinent like Bhagat Singh.

Qureshi stated Bhagat Singh was a freedom fighter of the subcontinent and gave his life along with his companions for the cause of freedom.

'It will be in the interest of justice to name Shadman Chowk after Bhagat Singh and also install his statue at the square to inspire the people of Pakistan and the world,' he said and added in neighbouring India, there were many roads and thoroughfares named after Muslim rulers such as Akbar Road, Shahjahan Road and Bahadur Shah Road.