Glory: historic Anarkali PS building rehabilitated

160-year-old structure houses record dating back to 1901 in original condition

LAHORE:

After the War of Independence in 1857, when the administrative command of the government in the subcontinent was handed over to the British government by the East India Company, the old Kotwali system responsible for maintaining law and order in the city was replaced by a regular police system. The first police station in Lahore was established in the area of Anarkali around 1860. In those days, it had the status of a Kotwali.

Today, it is known as Old Anarkali Police Station (PS). This PS has the status of a historical heritage which contains the record of crimes in the region as well as the social and political environment during its near 160 years of history.

The ancient memoirs and FIRs in this police station are a valuable asset in the history of Punjab Police. The old Anarkali PS is also famous for the fact that century-old FIRs are still kept there in their original condition.

As per details available with The Express Tribune, there were FIRs and record dating back to 1901. Former Punjab IGP Amjad Javed Salimi visited the historic police station during his deployment.

After inspecting the record room and other rooms of the PS, he ordered restoration of the historic building to its original condition.

Following the order of the former IGP, the work of restoring the police station to its original condition was started. Former DIG operations Waqas Nazir took personal interest and gave the task to former Lahore SSP operations and Sialkot DPO Mustansar Feroze.

The DPO rediscovered the old map of the Old Anarkali police station and redesigned it. In the first phase, dilapidated electricity poles were removed from outside the police station and the green belt was improved.

Reportedly, new washrooms were built and record rooms and floors were repaired. Old record was preserved and organised s, while beautiful electric light bulbs were installed on the exterior of the building.

After this, the police station building began to look like a beautiful fort. The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) also provided technical assistance to the police department in restoring the historic police station to its original historical shape.

The DPO provided all the modern policing facilities to the staff of the police station along with the rehabilitation work. The former IGP had also hinted that a police museum would be set up on the upper floor of the police station in the near future.

The police museum was to house historical police records and artefacts but after the transfer of IGP Salimi, this was not taken into consideration. Lahore DIG Operations Ashfaq Ahmad Khan said that he was trying to improve the condition of the place. “In the future, apart from the Old Anarkali police station, other historical buildings of the city including CIA Kotwali, should also be gradually restored to their original condition.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 7^th, 2020.