The claim that Lahore has restored pre-partition street names is misleading. PHOTO: NEWS OUTLET SCREEN
Various traditional and digital media outlets in India have been publishing news reports since May 19, 2026, claiming that the Punjab government was restoring pre-partition street names in Lahore. However, the reports are false and no such decision has been made yet.
how it started
On May 19, a major Indian media outlet, India today, posted a video on YouTube with the following title: “Pakistan restores Hindu and Sikh street names in pre-partition Lahore amid minority concerns.”
The publication obtained 20,310 visits.
In the video, the anchor can be heard saying, “We got some breaking news from Pakistan. Pakistan has restored the street names of pre-partition Lahore. Lahore brings back the Hindu and Sikh street names. So Pakistan’s Islampura is now Krishna Nagar; Babri Chowk is back to being Jain Mandir Chowk. In fact, Pakistan’s Mustafabad is now Dharamura once again. So, amid blatant reports of rights violations human rights and increasing Hindu persecutions, Pakistan has now restored the names of the pre-partition era.”
He added that while restorative measures have been taken, “real measures are still awaited when it comes to minorities.”
The same outlet also published a news report with the following headline: “Pak restores pre-partition Lahore street names: Islampura is now Krishan Nagar.”
He cited an unnamed Punjab government official as a source.
India today in the world He also posted a video on YouTube with the following title: “Pak restores Hindu, Sikh and colonial era names in Lahore as Nawaz Sharif revives pre-partition glory.”
The video report alleged that Pakistan had officially started restoring several historic Hindu, Sikh and colonial-era names in Lahore as part of a massive heritage revival drive spearheaded by PML-N president Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
The clip’s description reads: “The renaming effort is part of the Lahore Authority for Heritage Revitalization or LAHR, a Rs 50 billion urban conservation initiative aimed at restoring Lahore’s multicultural identity and architectural legacy. The authorities are also restoring colonial-era temples, churches, gurdwaras and buildings linked to Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Princess Bamba Sutherland.”
The Indian Express It also published a report with the following headline: “Pakistan’s Punjab government to restore pre-partition street names in Lahore.”
According to the report, the Punjab government had approved a plan to restore the names of several streets and roads in Lahore, with an aim to revive the city’s pre-partition heritage.
The news report did not cite any credible sources or provide images of the streets that are planned to be renamed.
NDTV It also published a report with the following headline: “Rehman Gali becomes Ram Gali: Why Pak is changing street names in Lahore.”
The news report stated that the official signboards of Islampura read Krishan Nagar, Babri Masjid Chowk was renamed Jain Mandir Chowk and Rehman Gali was renamed Ram Gali.
A local Indian magazine, India Perspectivesalso shared a post on Instagram with the following caption: “Lahore is restoring pre-partition street names across the city. Rehman Gali is now Ram Gali again. Islampura has returned to Krishan Nagar. Babri Masjid Chowk is now Jain Mandir Chowk. At least nine locations have already been renamed, with more changes planned under the Lahore heritage area revival project. The government describes it as a restoration effort. heritage. Critics argue that it also serves a broader diplomatic function and economic purpose amid IMF dependence, FATF scrutiny and efforts to attract foreign investment and tourism.”
Similarly, Gross Indiaa digital news outlet, shared a list on its Facebook account with new and old street names in Lahore. “Pakistan’s Punjab government has approved the restoration of historic Hindu, Sikh and Jain street names in Lahore as part of the ‘Lahore Heritage Areas Revitalization Project’, with the aim of preserving the city’s multicultural history,” the caption reads.
Methodology
A fact check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to massive Indian media coverage and high public interest in the issue.
A keyword search was carried out to check if any Pakistani media outlets had recently reported that Lahore was officially restoring pre-partition street names, but no such reports were found.
Multiple government officials and authorities were contacted to corroborate the matter.
Hafsa Javed Khawaja, communications specialist at the Punjab Directorate General of Public Relations (DGPR), dismissed the claim as “fake news” for nukta Murtaza Dar, Lahore editor.
Similarly, Lahore Deputy Commissioner Captain (R) Muhammad Ali Ejaz told The Express PAkGazette (ET) correspondent Afzal Talib that none of the street names in Lahore had been changed, adding that reports circulating online were false.
Shahid Kathia, CEO of Metropolitan Corporation Lahore, also denied Talib’s claim, stating that the reports circulating had no authenticity and that no official change of street names had been carried out in Lahore.
Additionally, Lahore Walled City Authority spokesperson Tania Qureshi was also contacted about the matter. she said eastern time Correspondent Asif Mehmood said that while discussions had been held on the matter, no official notification was issued by the relevant authorities in this regard.
None of the Indian news articles that reported on the claim provided an official government notification or corresponding document as confirmation. The reports also did not cite any named government officials or present photographs of the newly named streets, raising questions about the authenticity of the claim.
A keyword search turned up two eastern time News reports from March 20 and April 6, 2026, titled: “Historic street names to be restored” and “Government plans restoration of iconic names,” respectively.
The first claimed that a meeting chaired by CM Maryam and Nawaz approved the decision to revive the original names of historic highways, streets and government colleges in Lahore to restore the historical identity and cultural heritage of the city.
The second report stated that the Punjab government announced a comprehensive plan to restore the original names of historical areas, roads and landmarks in Lahore to highlight the city’s historical identity and strengthen its connection with cultural heritage.
He added that several locations such as Krishan Nagar to Islampura, Dharampura to Mustafabad and Ram Gali to Rehman Gali were renamed in the past. Similarly, Mall Road was renamed Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Mohan Lal Bazaar to Urdu Bazaar, Abbott Road to Ghaznavi Road, Lahore Stadium to Gaddafi Stadium, Gol Bagh to Nasir Bagh and Minto Park to Iqbal Park.
“However, many of these new names did not gain full public acceptance. Officials say these changes have partially blurred the historical identity of the city. Under the proposed plan, the original names will be reintroduced to reconnect citizens with their past and revive the cultural character of Lahore,” the report added.
It quoted Kamran Lashari, secretary of the Lahore Heritage Revival Authority, as saying that the city’s streets, markets and roads were an integral part of its cultural history, and restoring their original names would promote historical awareness.
“Despite the official name changes, many old names continued to be used by the public, indicating that the historical identity persists,” he said.
For further investigation, a Nukta team provided iVerify with photographs of major signboards across Lahore, showing that both the old and new names are still used in the city, with the latter not being restored to the former.
As can be seen in this photograph, Dharampura and Mustafabad posters are installed at various places in Lahore, contrary to Indian media claims that Mustafabad had been returned to Dharampura.
Similarly, the Abbott Road and Ghaznavi Road signboards were installed in Lahore at official institutions – the Metropolitan Corporation and the DGPR. Abbott Road was renamed Ghaznavi Road.
Lakshmi Chowk was renamed Maulana Zafar Ali Khan Chowk, but signboards were installed for both.
Lawrence Road was renamed Bagh-i-Jinnah Road, but signs for both are currently used by official institutions: the Punjab Transport Company and the Walled City of Lahore Authority.
The continued use of the new names on the signs shows that their pre-partition names have not been restored.
However, as Lashari noted above and seen in the image, official signage and boards in Lahore continue to use a combination of pre-partition names and their new names. More examples of the old names being used are provided below.
Temple Road, which was renamed Hameed Nizami Road, is still mentioned on signboards under its original name.
The same goes for Jain Mandir Road, which was renamed Babri Masjid Chowk. It is known by its original name on signs.
Fact Check Status: Misleading
The claim that Lahore has restored pre-partition street names is misleading.
Although the measure has been deliberate, no formal action has been taken to this effect. The new names are still used on official signage. Relevant government officials confirmed that no streets had yet to be officially restored from their new names to their pre-partition names.
This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan, a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.
