Punjab University College of Information Technology (PUCIT) has launched digital archives of ‘Inquilab,’ a famous Lahore-based Urdu newspaper that was founded in 1922.

These archives are available at inquilab.pucit.edu.pk. The college launched the digital archives of ‘Zamindar’ earlier this year as part of a larger effort to make a digital library of historical documents and make it available to public at large free of cost.

PUCIT Principal, Dr Syed Mansoor Sarwar said here on Friday that the college's Digital Archives Project started in 2011.

“Currently, the digital editions of ‘Inquilab’ are available from January 1928 to September 1941 with the exception of those that were missing in the university archives,” he said.

Inquilab remains an important source of pre-partition and post-partition information for researchers in political science, journalism, and social sciences.  

Dr Sarwar said that PUCIT would continue to add to these archives other newspapers and documents of historical importance to facilitate researchers and public at large. 

“PUCIT intends to add to this project the missing editions to Zamindar and Inquilab, as well as add digital versions of Paisa Akhbar and Civil and Military Gazette, the famous UK-based English daily.

"The college is in negotiation with Punjab Public Library and Dayal Singh Library in this regard,” Sarwar said adding that, "We consider such public service a part of PUCIT’s Corporate Social Responsibility.”

Dr Sarwar thanked the team who has helped develop the digital library of Zamindar and Inquilab, including Muhammad Hamid Ch (GIS Center Coordinator), Asim Siddique, Sohaib Anwar, Fiza Khalid, and GIS Center graduates Saba Nawaz, Mehwish Arif, Nudrat Babar, and Bushra Bhatti.