Revisiting The Mall, a photographic exhibition at NCA

A photographic exhibition titled Revisiting The Mall held at the Zahoorul Akhlaq Gallery of the National College of Arts (NCA). Hundreds of people from all walks of life visited the gallery.

More than 100 prints of the old Mall Road were put on display during the show, which were provided by the NCA and the LohKot Cultural and Heritage Society. The exhibition aims to create awareness among the general public about the city cultural heritage, which is being threatened by urbanisation and globalisation. The photographs included those of setting up of Alfred Woolers statue, 1850s Montgomery Hall (presently Quaid-i-Azam Library), the construction site of the Punjab Assembly (1936), a caravan of Hindus and Sikhs migrating from Pakistan to India passing through The Mall in 1947, and the first anniversary of Independence Day (14 Aug, 1948) being celebrated by the Royal Pakistan Army.

The Mall Road was constructed at the end of 1851 by the English Government when Anarkali Cantonment was transferred outside the city at Mian Meer. Before Mian Meer there were three cantonments in Lahore, Lahore Fort Cantonment, Anarkali Cantonment and Civil Lines Cantonment.