Lyallpur's legacy revived through heritage murals

Faisalabad authorities launch wall art project featuring historic, national icons

FAISALABAD:

In a move to preserve the historic legacy of the Sandal Bar region and revive public awareness of the city's rich past, the divisional and district administrations have launched an ambitious urban art initiative across Faisalabad and its adjoining districts.

As part of the project, large-scale murals depicting legendary personalities associated with old Lyallpur are being painted on the walls of major city arteries, giving the metropolitan city a vibrant new look while reconnecting future generations with their historical roots.

Official sources said that in the first phase, wall chalking and unauthorised writings have been completely removed from key roads, including Sargodha Road, Samundri Road, Jhang Road, Satyana Road and Narwala Road.

Strict action has been taken across the board, with no exemptions, to ensure long-term cleanliness and aesthetic improvement.

Municipal Corporation Chief Officer Murtaza Malik told reporters that the initiative aims to honor historical figures who played a pivotal role in founding and shaping the Sandal Bar region.

He said the murals feature prominent personalities such as Sir James Lyall, founder of Faisalabad; Bhagat Singh; Arfa Karim; Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan; Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal; Sufi Barkat Ali; and national icons including Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan, Abdul Sattar Edhi and Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. He said the Municipal Corporation was working in close coordination with the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA), Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) and Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA).

PHA is focusing on beautifying greenbelts and floral wall art, while WASA has selected walls at foreign-funded project sites for artwork.

Meanwhile, Commissioner and Administrator Municipal Corporation Raja Jahangir Anwar recently distributed e-bike keys to members of the newly formed "Hello Faisalabad Municipal Corporation Motorbike Squad."

He said the city has been divided into 15 zones, with squads tasked to report issues such as encroachments, sanitation problems, broken streetlights, wall chalking, illegal parking, missing manholes and stray dog control.

The commissioner announced that a digital complaint system, including a dedicated WhatsApp number, will soon be launched under the "Hello Faisalabad" initiative to ensure prompt response and improved municipal service delivery.