After an Allama Iqbal sculpture caused a hue and cry on social media, the city
217;s Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) announced Tuesday that it will be taken down and reinstalled after improvements are made to it.
The spokesperson of the park located in Gulshan-e-Iqbal area of Lahore, confirmed that the sculpture is being removed and will be put up again after necessary improvements.
A picture was shared on Twitter by a person, showing a group of workers uprooting the boundary fence surrounding the sculpture. “After going viral on social media, Iqbal
217;s structure is being uprooted,” he wrote.
Yasir Gillani, Chairman PHA, had earlier clarified that the statue had been built by the park
217;s gardeners out of their sheer love for Allama Iqbal. “Dear, this is prepared by maalis on their own , they made it in sheer love for Iqbal and to pay homage from their heart. Authority didn’t approve or even paid a single penny for it.
Yasir said that since the structure was built by the gardeners out of their own pocket
money, no act
ion will be taken against them. However, he said that clear directives had been issued to ensure that no sculpture is built inside the park without the park management
217;s permission.
Earlier, the large sculpture of national poet Allama Mohammad Iqbal drew humour and derision from netizens, and calls for the authorities to remove it.
A social media user posted a picture of th
e oversized bust with a caption criticising its artistic accuracy. “There’s nothing wrong in this but it doesn’t look like Allama Iqbal,” she pointed out.
The post went viral in a span o
f a few hours, with Twitterati barraging the provincial authorities with the demand to replace it as soon as possible. However, it turns out that the sculpture was made in good faith by well-meaning people.
.jpg)
