Veteran journalist and Director of the Lyallpur Picture Art Gallery, Mian Bashir Ijaz, said city residents have welcomed the initiative and expressed gratitude to the current divisional administration for reviving the rich history of the Sandal Bar region.
He described the move as a long-overdue effort to protect monuments that bear witness to more than a century of the city’s historical journey.
Recalling the past, he said the historic Zail Ghar, currently undergoing renovation, dates back to the British era (pre-1836) and once served as an administrative office for Zaildars, who were local officials appointed by the British Raj to manage revenue collection and rural affairs in the Punjab.
Located within the historic core of the city, the building also functioned as a rest house for visiting Zaildars attending official meetings with district boards and courts.
Following the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the building was converted into an Urban Rehabilitation Office (URO) for the registration of migrants arriving from India. In 1976, it was leased to various organisations, mainly from the media sector.
Although the District Council remains the legal owner, prolonged neglect led to severe deterioration of the structure until the current administration took steps to revive it.
Highlighting the significance of the Clock Tower intersection, Mian Bashir said inscriptions in English, Urdu, Hindi and Gurmukhi indicate that the Ghanta Ghar was constructed between 1903 and 1905 in memory of Queen Victoria, who passed away in 1901.
The presence of four scripts reflects the religious and cultural diversity of the era.
He said the tower was built at the centre of the main bazaar on a well that previously existed at the site and was filled with soil brought from Chak Ramdiwali (now Arfa Karim Nagar) on Sargodha Road.
Stones used in its construction were sourced from Sangla Hill in district Nankana Sahib.
The project was completed in 1906 under the supervision of Ghulab Khan, whose family was associated with the construction of the Taj Mahal in Agra, while the clock itself was imported from Bombay.
Over time, the structure suffered extensive damage, including decaying plaster, cracked staircases, broken railings, and deteriorating pillars.
Roofs had become nesting sites for birds, while pedestals inside the tower were badly damaged.
Commissioner Faisalabad and Administrator Metropolitan Corporation, Raja Jehangir Anwar, said that for the first time in the history of Sandal Bar, PC-I proposals for heritage buildings are being prepared to include such projects in the Annual Development Programme.
He said the initiative aims to revive shared cultural values and historical monuments alongside ongoing development projects across the four districts of the division.
He added that the revival of Bhagat Singh Haveli in Chak Bhangay and the historic horse-driven tram introduced by Sir Ganga Ram is also under consideration, with renovation work expected to begin after funding approval from the Punjab government.