History and heritage: ‘Murals to be displayed on Great Wall of Sialkot’

SIALKOT:

Gujranwala Commissioner Shamail Ahmed Khawaja said on Monday repair and renovation on Iqbal Manzil should be completed by June 30.

He said the provincial government had ordered rehabilitation of Iqbal Manzil to its original design. He said work was underway and would be completed till June 30.

He was talking to newsmen at Government Murray College in Sialkot. Sialkot DCO Nadeem Sarwar and college principal Javaid Akhtar Billah were also present.

The commissioner said Iqbal Manzil was a national heritage site and government was making efforts to preserve it. He reviewed the repair work and directed officials to expedite construction.

He said a Great Wall of Sialkot would be built on which murals bearing Iqbal’s poetry would be set up. He said other artwork would also be displayed on the wall.

He said Sialkot Fort would also be repaired.

He said Rs10 million had been released to restore the fort to its original design. The commissioner said the TMA was also building a park in the fort. He said Iqbal was a national treasure and his legacy should be preserved. He said the government was taking such initiatives seriously.

Death anniversary

The 77th death anniversary of Allama Muhammad Iqbal would be observed in the city on Tuesday (today). A Quran Khawani would be held at Iqbal Manzil under the auspices of Bazam-i-Iqbal Sialkot. Later, contests on Iqbal’s poetry would be held between students from various schools and colleges. Meanwhile, a symposium on Iqbaliyat would also be held at the auditorium of Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI). District Coordination Officer (DCO) Sialkot Nadeem Sarwar would be the chief guest.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 21^st, 2015.