Allama Iqbal Town () (also known as Iqbal Town or abbreviated as AIT) is a commercial and residential locality in the south-western
Lahore
Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...
, in
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
's
Punjab
Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
province.
It is named after
Allama Muhammad Iqbal
''Allamah'' () is an Islamic honorary title for a profound scholar, a polymath, a man of vast reading and erudition, or a great learned one.
The title is carried by scholars of Islamic fiqh (jurisprudence) and philosophy. It is used as an hon ...
, the
national poet
A national poet or national bard is a poet held by tradition and popular acclaim to represent the identity, beliefs and principles of a particular national culture. The national poet as culture hero is a long-standing symbol, to be distinguished ...
of Pakistan. Development was started in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was developed by Hassan Zaman Pvt Limited. It was previously famed for its name in Urdu, 'Sola Sau Acre سولہ سو ایکڑ' (meaning 1600 acres, a reference to the area it covers). Its boundaries are marked by
Multan Road to the west and north, and by Wahdat Road to the south.
Iqbal Town has been home to famous actors and actresses of
Pakistani film industry
The film industry of Pakistan, consisting of motion pictures, has had a large effect on Pakistani society and culture since the nation's independence. Pakistani cinema is made up of various sub-industries, including Lollywood, which mak ...
,
Lollywood
Lollywood is Pakistan's film industry, which has served as the base for both Urdu- and Punjabi-language film production.
Lahore has been the center of Pakistani cinema since independence in 1947. However, with the Urdu film hub largel ...
. Since the
Shahnoor Studios
The Shahnoor Studios (also spelled as Shahnur Studios) is the studio taken over by Syed Shaukat Hussain Rizvi and his first wife, Noor Jehan in the aftermath of the independence of Pakistan in 1947. The studio is one of the oldest studios in L ...
and Bari
studios
A studio is a space set aside for creative work of any kind, including art, dance, music and theater.
The word ''studio'' is derived from the , from , from ''studere'', meaning to Wiktionary:study, study or zeal.
Types Art
The studio o ...
are situated very close to the area, many film actors and actresses used to live here in the past. However, most of them have now moved to the posh suburban areas of the city.
Iqbal town's main boulevard is one of the busiest roads of Lahore. It also has a parking plaza at Moon Market.
College block, Pak block, Asif Block, Kashmir block, Huma block and Jahanzeb block are situated on the main boulevard which starts from Multan Road (the intersection famously known as 'Scheme Moar'. Moar means corner in the Urdu language) and leads towards Wahdat Road and onwards to the
Punjab University Punjab University may refer to:
India
* Punjab Agricultural University, a state agricultural university in Ludhiana, Punjab
* I. K. Gujral Punjab Technical University, a state university in Kapurthala, Punjab
* Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Techn ...
campus.
Neighboring localities constitute of Wahdat Colony,
Ichhra
Ichhra ( Punjabi, ) is a residential and commercial area in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
Being a very old locality, some very old buildings can be seen in Ichhra. It is noted for its Ichhra Bazaar, among the most economical markets of Lahore. Thi ...
,
Samanabad,
Garden Town,
Mustafa Town,
Sabzazar
Sabzazar ( Punjabi, ) is a neighbourhood and union council (UC 112) located in Allama Iqbal Zone of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries ...
and Said Pur.
Major commercial markets are Karim Block Market (adjacent to Umer Block and Karim Block) - famous for the garments shops located there) and
Moon Market (Dubai Chowk).
The oldest open university in Pakistan
Allama Iqbal Open University
Allama Iqbal Open University is a public university in Islamabad, Pakistan. It is named after Allama Muhammad Iqbal, the country's national poet. It is the world's fifth largest institution of higher learning in terms of enrolment, with an a ...
's Lahore campus is located in Raza Block of Allama Iqbal Town. It also houses the Karim Block Market nearby.
Allama Iqbal Town consists of a total of 22 residential divisions called 'blocks' listed alphabetically:
Asif, Badr, Chenab, College, Gulshan, Huma,Hunza Jahanzeb, Khyber, Kamran, Karim, Kashmir, Mehran, Muslim, Nargis, Neelam, Nishtar, Nizam, Pak, Rachna, Raza, Ravi, Sikander, Sutlej, Umar and Zeenat.
Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park
This park has been a source of entertainment and enjoyment in the area for almost three decades now. It was opened to general public in April, 1982. The park is known for its vast lush green gardens, enjoyments rides, different food stalls, boating area for paddle and motorboats, an artificial waterfall and an artificial hill for one's climbing and hiking experience. Families spend their holiday time enjoying rides, food and sunlight on winter afternoons. They come in crowds to enjoy the rides, greenery and the shade on summer nights.
Karim Block Market
The Karim Block Market is one of Lahore's busiest market areas and is situated along the Wahdat Road. The market comprises hundreds of retail and wholesale garment outlets, pharmacies, grocery stores, eateries and restaurants.
[Map of Iqbal Town](_blank)
Google Maps website There are also some petrol pumps, a
Gourmet Bakery and branches of the
Punjab Bank,
MCB and
Allied Bank,
Meezan Bank,
Bank of Khyber
The Bank of Khyber ( ) is a provincial government bank owned by Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and based in Peshawar, Pakistan, with 260 branches all over the country.
History
It was set up as a state-owned, regional bank in 1991 along with t ...
,
Bank Alfalah
Bank Alfalah Limited ( ), formerly known as Habib Credit and Exchange Bank, is a Pakistani commercial bank headquartered in Karachi. It is a subsidiary of an Emirati conglomerate, Abu Dhabi United Group.
It is one of the largest private banks ...
,
Faysal Bank as well as internationally renowned IT Enabled businesses including GreenwichBell within the premises of the Karim Block commercial zone.
Karim Block Market houses many factory outlets including Levis, Outfitters, Minnie and Minors, Shirt and Tie, Royal Tag to name a few. Many shops offer clothing for kids men and women wear at discounted rates round the year. This market caters the need of brand conscious people and low income, salaried people alike.
See also
*
Moon Market
*
Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park
References
External links
Iqbal Town, City District Government Lahore
{{Neighborhoods of Lahore
Samanabad Zone
Populated places in Lahore District