Rawalpindi: Despite being in power for several months, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has yet to restore the original name of the Nawaz Sharif Park in Rawalpindi, which was renamed Allama Iqbal Park during the previous PTI government on political grounds.

The sprawling public park along Murree Road in Shamsabad was originally developed and inaugurated during the tenure of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government and became one of the city’s main recreational landmarks. However, in August 2019, the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) formally changed its name to Allama Iqbal Park as part of a province-wide move to remove politically linked names from public places.

At the time, PML-N leaders had condemned the decision as political victimisation, claiming the park’s name was changed solely to erase the Sharif family’s civic legacy in Rawalpindi. But more than six years later and with Maryam Nawaz now leading the Punjab government the park’s original name has not been reinstated.

PHA records and recent renovation plans still refer to the site as Allama Iqbal Park, confirming that no official notification has been issued to reverse the earlier change. The development has drawn quiet criticism within PML-N ranks, where some view the government’s inaction as symbolic of its cautious political approach despite being in full control of the province.

Residents, meanwhile, continue to use the old name colloquially, saying the “Nawaz Sharif Park” remains part of Rawalpindi’s identity even if the official signage says otherwise.