RAWALPINDI: A blueprint to restore the over 150-year-old Bhabara Bazaar in the garrison city has been prepared and sent to the Lahore Wall City Authority for technical review, a meeting was informed here on Sunday.

The meeting of the Rawalpindi

Metropolitan Corporation (RMC) was convened by Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood to review the work on the project.

The project has been launched to restore design of Bhabara Bazaar established in 1857.

Commissioner Mehmood told Dawn that for tourist attraction, Rawalpindi will be

made a model city and in this regard the government was working to improve traffic flow on roads and provide all civic facilities to the residents.

Food street to be developed in the area on pattern of 1857 style of structures, says commissioner

As per the new plan, a food street would be developed in Bhabara Bazaar on the pattern of 1857 style of streets while all old buildings on the main street will be refurbished and restored to their old designs.

“All lampposts, colour schemes of houses, shops and roads will be designed on the century-old style so the visitors could recall the past. We will make Bhabara Bazaar a formal food street,” said the commissioner.

He said Bhabara Bazaar area from Murree Road to Sarafa Bazaar will be made a pedestrian street.

Work on shifting electricity and telephone lines underground has started.

He said a museum would be constructed in Sujan Singh Haveli where the culture of the Potohar region would be presented to the visitors with added information about the Sikh and British period.

“A café will be established on the rooftop of the haveli where people will have lunch and dinner. From the rooftop of the haveli, seven Gurdwaras and temples in the area are visible and these will be refurbished from outsides,” he said.

The more than 130-year-old majestic building called Sujan Singh Haveli will be turned into museum.

The haveli belonged to Sikh political figure Sardar Sujan Singh.

The two-storey building is a fine specimen of brick masonry, facing the street with a front verandah and a central entrance in the centre.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2020