Bradlaugh Hall, hub of Indian freedom movement, now a crumbling ruin in Lahore

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Updated 15 August 2022
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Bradlaugh Hall, hub of Indian freedom movement, now a crumbling ruin in Lahore

  • Named after British MP Charles Bradlaugh, Hall has birthed many political movements and anti-colonial revolutionaries
  • Since partition, building used as shelter for migrants, warehouse for iron merchants and grain silo for food department

LAHORE: When you take a left turn on Lower Mall Road in Lahore and go down Rattigan Road toward the ancient city’s district courts, you pass by an imposing red-brick building, a picture of neglect with its peeling paint and raggedy doors.

A plaque outside the desolate structure reads: “This building was called Bradlaugh Hall.”

Indeed, though the structure that was once Bradlaugh Hall is still there, the buildings’ grandeur and stature as a host to the veritable “who’s who” of the movement for the independence of India is a thing of the past. The resplendence of a great political history is today only a memory.

“For almost half a century, this hall would play host to Indians of all cast, creeds and religions and their political sessions, receptions, literary sittings and even mushairas (poetry conference),” Wajahat Masood, a veteran journalist and historian, told Arab News.




The pictue shows an inscription on a plaque made of stone in Bradlaugh Hall in Lahore, Pakistan, August 15, 2020. (Muhammad Imran Saeed/Facebook)

Seed money of Rs10,000 for Bradlaugh Hall was collected by Indian banker and activist Dayal Singh Majithia through a fundraiser at the Indian National Congress party’s annual session in Lahore in 1983, according to noted historian Dr. Tahir Kamran. The Congress party was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Empire in Asia and Africa.

“At the time, there were only two halls in Lahore, the Town Hall of the municipal office and Montgomery Hall in Lawrence Garden, which were owned by the government and not available for political events,” Kamran said.

Bradlaugh Hall, built at the tail end of the 19th century, was named after British MP Charles Bradlaugh (1833-1891), a notable freethinker of his era and a staunch supporter of the Indian struggle for independence from British rule. Bradlaugh wished for political activists of the time to have an administrative center where they could gather and discuss their political future.




The undated photo shows British MP Charles Bradlaugh. (Save Bradlaugh Hall, Lahore)

“Bradlaugh was a radical liberal of his time who vehemently advocated women voting rights, birth control laws and independence for Indians,” Kamran said. “Bradlaugh’s daughter wrote her father’s biography, in which she recalls him as an Indian.”

The Hall, which comprises several rooms, a pavilion and a vast area for public gatherings, was completed in 1900, nine years after Bradlaugh passed away in 1891. It was inaugurated by Congress President Surendranath Bannerji.

“PROMINENT POLITICAL HUB”

In its early years, the Hall “helped facilitate the labor and peasants’ movement, especially the influential movement of the peasants (known as “Pagri Sambhal Jatta”) of Lyallpur (Faisalabad), in 1905,” reporter Aown Ali wrote in 2015 in daily Dawn. 

“Later, in 1915, the ‘Ghadar Party’ also had its base in Bradlaugh Hall. By the 1920s, it had become well-known across India as a prominent political hub.”

Among those who visited and delivered speeches at the Hall are Allama Muhammad Iqbal, one of the subcontinent’s most celebrated poets, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, a key member of the Pakistan Movement and widely considered ‘the father of Urdu journalism,’ and Jawaharlal Nehru, who would go on to become the first prime minister of India.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan and the leader for the movement for an independent homeland for the Muslims of India, also delivered at least one speech at Bradlaugh, on May 24, 1924, during the Khilafat Movement, a pro-Islamic campaign in the subcontinent to salvage the Ottoman Empire and its ruler after World War 1.

According to Haroon Khalid, author of the book ‘Imagining Lahore,’ Bradlaugh Hall was home to the National College, set up by Indian author and politician Lala Lajpat Rai “to prepare ‘intellectual revolutionaries’” such as Bhagat Singh, the famed hero of India’s freedom struggle. It also hosted the Indian National Congress’s historic 1929 Lahore session that culminated in the declaration of Purna Swaraj, or full independence, on December 31, which the party would celebrate as India’s symbolic Independence Day until 1947.”

In March 1926, young proponents of freedom from all over India, especially Punjab, formed the “Naujawan Bharat Sabha” with the objective of transforming their ideology into action. The left-wing association chose Bradlaugh Hall as its headquarter. 




The pictue shows exterior view of Bradlaugh Hall in Lahore, Pakistan, August 15, 2020. (Muhammad Imran Saeed/Facebook)

On October 7, 1930, when freedom fighters Singh and two others were sentenced to death, the Sabha party was declared illegal. However, it was revived as a legal defense team for Singh and others under the name of the “Bhagat Singh Appeal Committees,” with sessions carried out at Sabha’s office in Bradlaugh Hall.

The building also served as a center of cultural activity.

“Apart from being the center of political activities, this historic hall also served as a center for activities related to literature, culture and arts,” historian Masood said.

To commemorate their victory in World War 1, the British organized a mushaira at the Hall in 1919 where Iqbal recited his famous poem Shoa’a-e-Aftab. It is also at Bradlaugh that during the first session of the Lahore Students Union, the poet Josh Malih Abadi recited his famous revolutionary poem: “Suno ay Bastgaan e Zulf Gaiti, Nida Ye Aa Rahi hai Aasman Se/ Kay Aazadi ka ik Lamha hai Behter, Ghulaami ki Hayaat e Jawidaan Se” (Listen! You slaves of the times, such is the order of the day coming down from skies/ A moment of independence is far better than the eternal life in slavery).

The Parsi Theatrical Companies of Cowasjee and Habib Seth were very popular, and both used to perform at Bradlaugh Hall. In 1903, Narayan Prasad Betab’s drama Kasauti was played here. Legendary singer and dancer Gauhar Jaan Kalkattewali performed to a sold-out Hall in 1912.

But the building’s golden years came to an end in 1946 when the All-India Muslim League, formed out of the need for the political representation of Muslims in British India, won majority in the 1946 provincial elections, which is believed to have laid the path for Pakistan. After that, the rival Indian National Congress stopped meeting at Bradlaugh.

“NEGLECT AN INSULT TO REVOLUTIONARIES”

The Hall was managed by the Bradlaugh Hall administrative committee till the 1947 Partition of India, and for a decade after independence was used to provide shelter to migrants from Amritsar, as a warehouse for iron merchants and as a grain silo for the food department.

“The Government of Pakistan handed over the hall to the food department and it was converted into a wheat storage center,” Wasif Naqi, a historian and journalist who grew up in a neighborhood located behind the Hall, told Arab News. 




The pictue shows Bradlaugh Hall in Lahore, Pakistan, August 15, 2020. (Muhammad Imran Saeed/Facebook)

“For a long time, the hall also served as a car workshop. We would hear the din of hammers used by mechanics all day,” Naqi said.

Flooded in a rain storm in 1956, Bradlaugh Hall could no longer be used for food storage and was turned into the National Technical Institute in 1957. The Institute had the building until the 90s, which writer Aown Ali described “as the worst period for this historic building, as it was in this period that all the land grabbing and illegal interventions took place … the area was being exploited all for personal and monetary interests.”

Since 1997, the building has been sealed.

This April, however, the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) and the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) said they would join hands to restore the original façade and the internal and external portions of the structure to return Bradlaugh Hall to its former glory. 

“Ideally, a library should be built within Bradlaugh Hall, including a space for political activity,” Kamran the historian said. “But what we have done to our other libraries is no less shameful to what we’ve done to this historical building which once helped bring revolution and thus independence.”

“More important is to return to the ethos this building once embodied, though restoring the structure is also vital,” journalist Masood said. “This act [of neglect] is an insult to the efforts and sacrifices of the revolutionaries who broke the chains of slavery for us.”


Pakistan parliament adopts unanimous resolution against Israel’s ‘heinous wave of atrocities’ in Gaza

Updated 14 April 2025
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Pakistan parliament adopts unanimous resolution against Israel’s ‘heinous wave of atrocities’ in Gaza

  • Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar presents resolution seeking immediate Gaza ceasefire, resumption of aid to Palestinians
  • Gaza’s health ministry says at least 1,574 Palestinians have been killed since Mar. 18 when Israel resumed military attacks

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Assembly on Monday adopted a unanimous resolution condemning Israel’s “heinous wave of atrocities” in Gaza, expressing solidarity with Palestinian citizens and demanding an immediate ceasefire in the territory, state-run media reported. 
Gaza’s health ministry said on Sunday that at least 1,574 Palestinians have been killed since Mar. 18 when a shaky ceasefire between Hamas and Israel broke down, taking the overall death toll since the war began in October 2023 to 50,944.
The resolution was moved by Pakistan’s Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar during a session of the lower house of parliament. The resolution noted that the latest Israeli offensive has resulted in the killing of over 1500 Palestinians, rebuking the destruction of complete civil infrastructure in Gaza including houses, hospitals, schools and places of worship. 
“The National Assembly on Monday adopted a unanimous resolution, once again strongly condemning the ongoing heinous wave of atrocities by the Zionist Israeli regime in Gaza,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. 
The National Assembly expressed “unwavering solidarity” with the people of Palestine, reaffirming their inalienable right to self-determination and an independent motherland.
The resolution also expressed dismay at the international community’s failure to halt Israeli aggression, calling urgently for an immediate, permanent and comprehensive ceasefire. It also demanded uninterrupted and sustainable humanitarian assistance to besieged and beleaguered Palestinians in the territory.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the entire Pakistani nation stands united when it comes to Palestine. He pointed out that Pakistan has a unique distinction on its passport, which does not allow its holders to travel to Israel. 
Pakistan, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, has frequently criticized the Jewish state for its military operations in Gaza. Islamabad has also called for the resumption of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory and the need for a revival of negotiations leading to a two-state solution.
Islamabad consistently calls for an independent Palestinian state along the pre-1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.


Pakistan to vaccinate over 45 million children against polio in nationwide campaign in April

Updated 14 April 2025
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Pakistan to vaccinate over 45 million children against polio in nationwide campaign in April

  • Over 400,000 volunteers to participate in nationwide polio drive from Apr. 21-27, says health minister
  • Stresses cooperation among federal, provincial governments and global partners to eliminate polio

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will vaccinate over 45 million children against poliovirus in April in its second nationwide campaign against the disease this year, Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal said on Monday, as Islamabad intensifies efforts to rid the country of the infection. 

Polio is a paralyzing disease with no cure and multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine — along with completing the routine immunization schedule for children under five — are crucial to building immunity against the virus. 

Pakistan, which has reported six polio cases so far in 2025, has planned three major vaccination campaigns in the first half of the year, with additional rounds scheduled for April and May.

“The second national polio campaign of the year is scheduled from Apr. 21 to 27 nationwide,” Kamal said while chairing a high-level meeting on polio eradication, which was attended by provincial health ministers.

“Over 400,000 trained polio workers will participate, aiming to administer polio vaccination drops to over 45 million children.”

Kamal lamented that Karachi’s sewage samples continued to test positive for poliovirus. The minister directed authorities to formulate a strategy for the nationwide polio campaign, highlighting that a “coordinated approach” was essential to completely eradicate the disease.

The minister stressed the importance of cooperation among federal and provincial governments, as well as international partners, to ensure the success of polio eradication efforts. 

Pakistan’s polio program, launched in 1994, has faced persistent challenges including vaccine misinformation and resistance from some religious hard-liners who claim immunization is a foreign conspiracy to sterilize Muslim children or a guise for Western espionage. Militant groups have also repeatedly targeted and killed polio vaccination workers.

In 2024, Pakistan reported an alarming 74 polio cases. Along with Afghanistan, it remains one of the only two countries where polio is still endemic.


Pakistan, Morocco kick off joint counterterror exercise to promote military ties

Updated 14 April 2025
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Pakistan, Morocco kick off joint counterterror exercise to promote military ties

  • Exercise’s third edition aimed at refining professional skills of both armies, says Pakistan military’s media wing
  • Pakistan enjoys cordial relations and cooperation in trade, defense and other sectors with various Arab nations

ISLAMABAD: The armies of Pakistan and Morocco kicked off the third edition of their joint bilateral military exercise on Monday, the Pakistani military’s media wing said, stressing that the drill was aimed at enhancing professional skills of their soldiers and promoting defense relations between the two countries. 

Pakistan enjoys cordial ties and strong defense relations with Arab countries, which often causes them both to engage in frequent training exercises, defense production collaborations and counter-terrorism intelligence sharing. 

“Opening Ceremony of 3rd Pak-Morocco Joint Bilateral Military Exercise-2025 was held between the Armies of Pakistan and Morocco in counter terrorism domain at Special Operations School, Cherat,” the Inter-Services Public Relations, (ISPR) the army’s media wing, said in a statement. 

Cherat is a hill station located northwestern Pakistan’s Nowshera district. 

Pakistan’s Special Services Group and the Moroccan Army’s special forces are taking part in the exercise, the statement confirmed. 

“The exercise is aimed at refining professional skills through joint training and harnessing historic military to military relations among the friendly countries,” the ISPR said. 

The bilateral relationship between Pakistan and Morocco is marked by cordial ties and historic fraternity, according to Pakistan’s foreign office. 

In November last year, Moroccan Air Force Inspector Major General Mohammed Gadih expressed his interest in collaborating with the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in the aerospace sector. 

During his visit, the Pakistani air chief reaffirmed his commitment to enhancing military ties with Morocco through joint training programs, including those at the basic and tactical levels, for Moroccan Air Force personnel.


Pakistan Navy inducts offshore patrol vessel with advanced stealth features and weapons in fleet

Updated 14 April 2025
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Pakistan Navy inducts offshore patrol vessel with advanced stealth features and weapons in fleet

  • PNS Yamama’s induction to enhance navy’s seaward defense, protect sea lines of communication, says Pakistan Navy
  • Offshore patrol vessel to ensure protection of maritime infrastructure, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy inducted a fourth offshore patrol vessel (OPV) named PNS Yamama in its fleet on Monday, describing it as a ship equipped with modern stealth features and sophisticated weapons that enables it to function in a multi-threat environment. 

PNS Yamama was constructed at the Damen Shipyard in Romania. The multi-purpose ship is equipped with modern stealth features, the latest command and control systems, and sophisticated weapons and sensors, the navy said in a statement. A ceremony to officially induct the OPV was held at the Jinnah Naval Base in the southwestern town of Ormara in the presence of government officials, local dignitaries and senior Pakistan Navy officers.

“As the fourth in the series, the induction of this state-of-the-art ship significantly enhances Pakistan Navy’s capability to ensure seaward defense, protect sea lines of communication and maintain order at sea,” the statement said. 

The development highlights Pakistan Navy’s enhanced reach on the western seaboard, providing flexibility in its fleet operations, enhancing maritime security and its ability to contribute to regional peace and stability, it added. 

PNS Yamama’s induction would also ensure protection of vital maritime infrastructure, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multi-billion-dollar Chinese infrastructure project that connects Pakistan’s Gwadar city to China’s Xinjiang province. 

Pakistan Navy Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf highlighted the precarious geo-strategic environment in the Indian Ocean, stressing the need for a potent naval force to counter emerging traditional and non-traditional challenges, the statement said. 

“He reiterated that the addition of PNS Yamama to the PN fleet would significantly enhance Pakistan Navy’s capability to safeguard the maritime frontiers of Pakistan and reinforce its commitment to ensuring safety and security in international waters,” it said. 

Besides inducting various warships in its fleet, Pakistan Navy has held several joint exercises with friendly nations in recent years in a bid to enhance joint operational capabilities and strengthen regional security.


Pakistan should reinforce trade partnerships with China, Middle East amid tariff row— think tank

Updated 14 April 2025
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Pakistan should reinforce trade partnerships with China, Middle East amid tariff row— think tank

  • Islamabad was slapped with 29 percent tariff rate this month before Trump temporarily suspended decision days later
  • Think tank urges Pakistan to diversify exports markets, collaborate with countries facing similar tariff challenges

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan should diversify its markets for exports, collaborate with other countries to formulate a multilateral response to Washington and reinforce existing trade partnerships with China and the Middle East in response to tariffs imposed by the United States, a Karachi-based independent think tank said recently. 

US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on several countries on Apr. 2, defending the measures as necessary to address long-standing trade imbalances and what he described as unfair treatment of American goods abroad. Islamabad would have been slapped with a 29 percent tariff rate before Trump walked back on the announcement on Apr. 9, pausing it for 90 days. A 10 percent blanket duty on almost all US imports will remain in effect. 

A study by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) entitled ‘Impact of Unilateral Tariff Increase by United States on Pakistani Exports’ said this month when added to the existing 8.6 percent Most Favored Nation (MFN) tariff, the total duty after the imposition of the 29 percent tariff could reach 37.6 percent. This would likely result in a 20-25 percent decline in Pakistani exports to the US, translating into an annual loss of $1.1-1.4 billion, with the textile sector bearing the brunt of the blow.

“Pakistan should work on diversifying its export markets to reduce dependency on the US market,” the Policy Research & Advisory Council, (PRAC) an independent think tank that says it provides input for policies and advocates for economic and business interests, said in its report titled “An Analysis of US Tariff Barriers Impacting Pakistan’s Trade.”

“Establishing trade agreements with emerging economies such as Africa or the Central Asian Republics (CARs), or reinforcing existing partnerships, like those with China or the Middle East, could mitigate the risks of trade losses due to tariff hikes,” it added. 

Pakistan has strengthened its business-to-business (B2B) ties with the Kingdom in recent months, with both sides announcing in October 2024 they had signed 34 memoranda of understanding and agreements worth $2.8 billion to enhance private sector collaboration and commercial partnerships.

China, on the other hand, has invested billions in an infrastructure and energy corridor project that connects China’s Xinjiang province to Pakistan’s Gwadar Port via a network of highways, railways, and pipelines. 

PRAC advised Pakistan to collaborate with other nations facing similar tariff challenges, such as Bangladesh and Vietnam, urging it to formulate a multilateral response to Washington’s tariffs. 

“This approach could involve coordinated advocacy at international trade forums, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), to mitigate the broader global impact of US tariff policies and promote fairer trade practices,” it said. 

Pakistan’s textile industry is expected to face significant challenges from the tariffs, with potential losses of up to $2 billion in exports estimated by experts if the 29 percent tariff rate is reinstated. 

The think tank urged Islamabad to leverage its competitive advantage in sectors such as wearing apparel, woven fabrics, food products and non-metal wastes where tariff increases for Pakistan are lower compared to Vietnam and Bangladesh. 

It pointed out that when it comes to textile yarn, threads and carpets, despite higher tariffs Pakistan still holds an edge over Vietnam. However, sectors such as medical equipment, plastics and rubber tires benefit from smaller tariff hikes, offering growth potential. 

“By focusing on these sectors, Pakistan can enhance its export basket and capture greater market share,” the report said. 

PRAC advised Pakistan to reduce its reliance on a “narrow” export basket, improve production efficiencies to secure new markets to mitigate the impact of rising tariffs and safeguard its existing exports. 

“Implementing these measures will not only protect the country’s trade interests but also position it for greater resilience and competitiveness in the global market,” it concluded.