Historical buildings need preservation in Faisalabad

FAISALABAD-The historical buildings of Faisalabad giving memory of the beginning of 19th century are losing their real figure due to the negligence of city district government. Historical clock tower, Ghumti tomb, Qasiori gate and Jinnah park stone laid fountains and other buildings are in dilapidated condition and their beauty is vanishing. However Faisalabad is famous for its clock tower. The clock towers are also constructed in Multan, Sailkot, Samundari and some other parts of the country but the clock tower of Faisalabad has a different status among all others. It is interesting that eight bazaars are situated around the clock tower square and where ever any one goes the clock tower can be seen from there. Therefore whenever any army general involves gets in to politics whether he is General Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan, Zia-ul-Haq and General Pervez Musharraf the news analysts give example of Faisalabad clock tower and express that as the clock tower is seen from all the eight bazaars, the army dictators had centralized powers around them. The clock tower Faisalabad is not only famous but it also has an historical background. In order to express the history of clock tower, Ghumti tomb, Qasiori gate and other historical places it merits mentioning of the British rulers family relationship with Faisalabad. British rulers had a very deep relationship with Faisalabad a land of sand of dunes Sandal-bad. Firstly relationship of British rulers with Faisalabad is that when one century and two decades before the city was established by the Britishers ruling in sub continent Asia. Queen Victoria the grand mother of the mother of Prince Charles was the ruler at that time of Britain, sub continent Asia and half of the world. The other important and note able relationship of Faisalabad with British is that the map of the city was designed on the shape of British flag union jack. The name of this city in the end of 19th century was declared as Lyallpur on the name of Delhis LFT Governor Sir James Lyall. Mark Grant Lyall, the grand son of Sir James Lyall has been high commissioner of British in Pakistan. Anyhow the construction of Faisalabad city started with the construction of irrigation department offices and houses followed by railway lines and railway station. Queen Victoria in the beginning of 19th century scheduled a programme to visit Sub continent Asia. She had to come to Lyallpur (Faisalabad) through train from Lahore. Therefore to give him accord a building of Ghumti was constructed. In fact it was a stage constructed to welcome Queen Victoria. The map of Faisalabad city was penciled on the design of British map union Jack therefore Queen Victoria desired to visit Faisalabad city. She had to enter the jurisdiction of the city from rail bazaar therefore Qasiori gate out side the rail bazaar was constructed. These Ghumti and Qasiori gate that were constructed in 1890 are so far present in the city but as per the historical importance their beauty and status is not maintained. The fence was constructed as a boundary of Ghumti but heaps of garbage is seen in it, as it was not a welcome point of Queen Victoria but a historical garbage stand. Subsequently the historical Qasiori gate is in dilapidated condition due to the traditional encroachment factor of the city and the concerns of city had never bothered to struggle for the beatification of the historical places. At least there should be no encroachment or shop near Qasiori gate. The historical city area of Faisalabad city is now days in the limits of Lyallpur town. Lyallpur town administration should bring Ghumti and Qasiori gate forward in their real beauty. A Lyallpur hall in Chenab club Faisalabad on the name of Sir James Lyall is another affiliation with the British government. British high commissioner Mark Grant Lyall inaugurated this hall. However many other things of Queen Victoria are present in here that includes English graveyard, Jinnah Park (old company park), university of agriculture old campus (old Punjab agriculture Lyallpur college building) and a residential colony named Young wala. Young wala is on the name of British Caption Young. Caption Young was an English engineer and first colony officer of Lyallpur (Faisalabad). On the time of the construction of city a well was dug in the center heart of the city. The purpose of the well was that the people of city could have water from it. The taste of the water of this well was not sweet but majority of the citizens got water from it. It is a century back when peop1 used the well but in the beginning of the twentieth century it was planned that instead of well the people wanted a beautiful minar in the city.

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