Poonch House

Poonch House
Interactive map of the Poonch House area
General information
StatusOperational
TypeGovernment building
Architectural styleIndo-Saracenic architecture
LocationMultan Road, near Chauburji, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Coordinates31°33′3″N 74°18′5″E / 31.55083°N 74.30139°E / 31.55083; 74.30139
Named forPoonch Division
Completed1849
OwnerGovernment of Pakistan
Technical details
Floor area211 kanals

Poonch House (Urdu: پونچھ ہاؤس) is a historic state building located on Multan Road near Chauburji in Lahore, Pakistan.[1] It is one of the oldest British colonial buildings in Lahore.[2]

History

It was constructed in 1849 during the reign of Sikh Maharaja Duleep Singh and is associated with Sir Henry Lawrence, who resided there while serving in Lahore and acting as the Maharaja's guardian.[3]

Named after the Poonch Division of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, the estate originally extended over 211 kanals before its conversion into government offices and a residential colony.[3] It also served as the residence of Sir Meredith Plowden, then chief justice of the Lahore High Court.[3] The 1931 trial of Indian independence activist Bhagat Singh took place in this building.[4]

Following the creation of Pakistan, the property was transferred to the Federal Government in 1962 and housed the Industrial and Commercial Museum from 1950 to 1985.[3]

In 2024, the Bhagat Singh Gallery was opened in the building.[5][6]

References

  1. ^ "لاہور کی وہ عمارت جہاں بھگت سنگھ کا ٹرائل ہوا، اب کس حال میں ہے؟". October 26, 2024 – via Voice of America.
  2. ^ Muti ul Haq; Muhammad Ameem ul Haq Qureshi; Nijah Akram; Ayesha Mehmood Malik; Madiha Ahmad; Saud Kamal (6 March 2025). "Preserving Poonch House: Architectural Documentation, Historical Insights, and Conservation Challenges". Dialogue Social Science Review. 3 (3): 179–202. ISSN 3007-3154.
  3. ^ a b c d بخاری, سید محمد عظیم شاہ (August 22, 2021). "پونچھ ہاؤس". Express Urdu.
  4. ^ "برطانیہ اور امریکا سے آئے سکھ یاتریوں کا پونچھ ہاؤس اور بھگت سنگھ گیلری کا دورہ". Daily Jang.
  5. ^ Reporter, The Newspaper's Staff (December 31, 2024). "Bhagat Singh Gallery opens at Poonch House". Dawn.
  6. ^ محمود, آصف (January 3, 2025). "برطانوی دور میں تعمیر ہونیوالی لاہور کی پہلی عمارت پونچھ ہاؤس کی بحالی کا 80 فیصد کام مکمل | Express News". Express Urdu.