RAWALPINDI: For the third time in the past nine years, the Punjab government has come up with a plan to rescue 100-year-old Sujan Singh Haveli in Bhabara Bazaar in Rawalpindi, with caretaker minister Jamal Nasir asking the district administration and the municipal corporation to convert this historic building into a food court, museum, and art gallery.

The four-storey majestic haveli constructed by a Sikh political figure Sujan Singh in 1890 is located in a narrow street of Bhabara Bazaar. It is a fine specimen of brick masonry, facing the street with a front verandah and a central entrance. Its doors and windows feature intricate Kashmiri woodwork. It has at least 45 rooms, presenting English tiles. The building was owned by a Sikh family at the time of Partition, which also owned the Prince Palace – now Fatima Jinnah Women University – on The Mall. In the late 1990s, the building was handed over to Fatima Jinnah Women University. The varsity had made plans to establish a school of art in this building but the proposal could not be executed.

In 2015, then-commissioner Zahid Saeed and deputy commissioner Sajid Zafar Dall decided to turn this place into a tourist attraction, but to no avail. In 2021, then-commissioner Muhammad Mehmood approved a plan to restore the haveli and the bazaar. An agreement between the Walled City Authority Lahore and the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation was reached to restore the building and restore the 1857 glory of Bhabara Bazaar. The commissioner lost his job in the Ring Road scam, and the plan was shelved again.

Historic building to be converted into museum, art space, food court

According to this plan, Rs104 million would be allocated for the rehabilitation of Sujan Singh Haveli and Rs80 million for Bhabara Bazaar food street. A kilometre-long food street will be restored to its state in 1857 and the facades of the surrounding houses would also be restored to their original shape. All power, telephone, and other utility cables would be laid underground and underground sewerage would be flushed through pipes. The main objective behind this plan was to make Rawalpindi an attraction for tourists through urban regeneration and attract tourists coming to Murree via Rawalpindi, which would also employ the local population.

Hurdles in plan

A senior official of the RMC said that the restoration work on haveli was to be started during the last fiscal year but frequent changes in the provincial governments from April 2022 to January 2023 delayed the work. After the formation of the caretaker government, the civic body decided to start the work in the next fiscal year. He said that after the formation of the caretaker government, all the development accounts had been frozen and the RMC would not start any new work without the permission of the provincial government.

Meanwhile, Punjab Caretaker Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare and Population Dr Jamal Nasir said there was an urgent need to protect the historic building by declaring it a national heritage site. He said proposals to build a museum, art and craft gallery, and food court in Sujan Singh Haveli would also be implemented. During his visit to Sujan Singh Haveli along with Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha and others, he said the haveli would boost tourism.

The caretaker minister only one-way traffic would be allowed in Raja Bazaar, Sarafa Bazaar, and Bhabara Bazaar at present, but in future, only pedestrians would be allowed to visit Bhabara Bazaar.

He said that the Fawara Chowk parking plaza would be expanded soon.

The caretaker minister said that the site of a new parking plaza near Bhabara Bazaar was being evaluated to ensure a parking facility for potential of tourists visiting the Sujan Singh Haveli.

Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chhata said that regarding the restoration and renovation of Sujan Singh Haveli, the administration “has made the best suggestions and there is a complete plan in this regard”. He said that the face-lifting of old houses around Sujan Singh Haveli has also been planned to promote tourism.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2023