Starting point for PTI’s long march: Lahore’s Liberty Chowk famous for emerging trends

LAHORE: Former Pakistani premier Imran Khan has announced the plan to lead the long march from Lahore’s historic Liberty Chowk, a six-decade-old monumental symbol reminiscent of the good old times.

The square gained global recognition on March 3, 2009, when around a dozen gunmen hiding near the Liberty Chowk opened fire at the bus carrying the visiting Sri-Lankan cricket team. In the ambush, six Pakistani policemen and two civilians were killed while six members of the Sri-Lankan cricket team and Pakistani umpire Ahsan Raza were injured.

According to a leading real-estate website Zameen.com, work on the posh Liberty Market project began in the 1960s. It was developed as the prime shopping district of modern Lahore, which was already embracing new development trends.

The website writes: “Owing to its unique shape, Liberty Market is also commonly known as a horseshoe-shaped or D-shaped market. It is located on Noor Jehan Road in Lahore, just across the road from where the iconic Pakistani singer and actress once lived.”

Although, the former chief minister Punjab Usman Buzdar-led PTI government had renamed Liberty Chowk to Rainbow Chowk in 2020, the initiative was rejected by the majority of locals. The Liberty market is famous countrywide among women due to its trendy clothing items, shoes, jewellery, cosmetics and different types of accessories. It also houses numerous restaurants, food outlets and kiosks.