Lalkurti (literally ''red shirt''; referring to British Infantry " Red coats" from colonial era), is a locality in the heart of

Rawalpindi Rawalpindi is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, third-largest city in the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is a commercial and industrial hub, being the list of cities in P ...

cantonment A cantonment (, , or ) is a type of military base. In South Asia, a ''cantonment'' refers to a permanent military station (a term from the British Raj). In United States military parlance, a cantonment is, essentially, "a permanent residential ...

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 of

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# ...

. Places with the same name are also found in many other

garrison A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. A garrison is usually in a city ...

cities of Pakistan and

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, such as

Peshawar Peshawar is the capital and List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district p ...

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 ...

Kanpur Kanpur (Hindustani language, Hindustani: ), originally named Kanhapur and formerly anglicized as Cawnpore, is the second largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Uttar Pradesh after Lucknow. It was the primary ...

Ambala Ambala () is a city and a municipal corporation in Ambala district in the state of Haryana, India, located on the border with the Indian state of Punjab (India), Punjab and in proximity to both states capital Chandigarh. Politically, Ambala ...

Meerut Meerut (, ISO 15919, ISO: ''Mēraṭh'') is a city in the western region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Located in the Meerut district, it is northeast of the national capital, New Delhi, and is ...

and

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

. Located to the south of Mall Road, Lalkurti Rawalpindi is a

bazaar A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets th ...

and a residential area from the British colonial era. The Lalkurti Bazaar area, formerly known as B I Bazaar (British Infantry Bazaar), is one of the busiest shopping areas of Rawalpindi cantonment. The importance of Lalkurti in the history of Rawalpindi and Pakistan lies in its once being the hub of Pakistan's military and political activities, especially in the 1960s, when Rawalpindi served as the interim capital of Pakistan. The first session of the third

National Assembly of Pakistan The National Assembly of Pakistan, also referred to as ''Aiwān-ē-Zairīñ'', is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral Parliament of Pakistan, with the upper house being the Senate of Pakistan, Senate. As of 2023, the National Assem ...

was held on 8 June 1962 at Ayub Hall, Lalkurti.

Population and demography

Lalkurti has a population of around 200,000, which includes a majority of

Punjabis The Punjabis (Punjabi language, Punjabi: ; ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ; romanised as Pañjābī) are an Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group associated with the Punjab region, comprising areas of northwestern India and eastern Paki ...

and a minority of

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

speaking Mohajirs,

Kashmiris Kashmiris () also known as Koshurs are an Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group speaking the Kashmiri language and originating from the Kashmir Valley, which is today located in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union terr ...

and

Pathans Pashtuns (, , ; ;), also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are an Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in southern and eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. They were historically also referred to as Afghans until 1964 after the ...

. A significant proportion of population has roots in Eastern Punjab. Besides

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

majority, a significant minority of

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

and a very small number of

Hindus Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

also reside at Lalkurti.

Zulf-e-Bengal Building

The Zulf-e-Bengal Building, also known as Agha House, is a prominent heritage structure located on Mamoo Jee Road in the historic Lalkurti area of Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The building holds significant historical and cultural value, serving as a symbol of the region's diverse past. Before the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the building was owned by Ishar Dass, a wealthy Hindu trader and entrepreneur. He was the manufacturer of the popular hair oil brand ''Zulf-e-Bengal''—meaning "the long hair of a Bengali woman"—which gained fame across South Asia for its effectiveness and appeal. After Partition, the property came into the possession of the Agha family, and has since been known locally as Agha House. Today, it stands as one of Lalkurti's most well-known landmarks, representing a unique blend of colonial architecture, commercial legacy, and post-Partition history. The story of Lalkurti is considered incomplete without mention of this iconic building.

NUST building

The building hosting the

National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan The National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) () is a Pakistani multi-campus public research university with its main campus in Islamabad, and other campuses in Rawalpindi, Risalpur, Quetta and Karachi. It offers degrees in multipl ...

(NUST), situated at the junction of Tameez-ud-din road (formerly called the Church road) and Mamoo Jee Road (now called Lalkurti Road), has a special historical significance. The road was named after prominent Rawalpindi businessman Mamoo Jee Hakimjee and it was here in NUST's Ayub Hall that the national legislative assembly sessions were held for some time in the 1960s. The capital had been shifted from

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

Islamabad Islamabad (; , ; ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's tenth-most populous city with a population of over 1.1 million and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital Territory. Bu ...

, but the building for the

had not been constructed by then and Rawalpindi served as the interim capital of the country. Ayub Hall has been named after Field Marshal Muhammad

Ayub Khan Mohammad Ayub Khan (14 May 1907 – 19 April 1974) was a Pakistani military dictator who served as the second president of Pakistan from 1958 until his resignation on 1969. He was the first native commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Army, se ...

, former president of

Schools and colleges

Army Public School and College Army Public Schools & Colleges System (APSACS) is a school system operated by the Pakistani Army with over 230 branches. APSAC System operates in 18 regions across Pakistan, with supervision by 18 regional directors. They are sub-divided into 18 ...

Army Public College of Management Sciences The National University of Modern Languages, Rawalpindi, formerly known as APCOMS, is a university branch located in Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan and is part of National University of Modern Languages. History It was founded as Army Public Co ...

(APCOMS) *

Military College of Signals The Military College of Signals (reporting name: MCS) is a direct reporting Detachment (military), detachment and the military college located in Rawalpindi Cantonment, Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan. The military college provides training and ...

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* SLS Montessori * Presentation Convent * F G Technical High School * Saint Catherine high school * KIPS academy

Mosques, churches and temples

There are six mosques and a couple of churches ( St. Joseph's Cathedral and Christ Church) in the locality. The

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

minority and the

s have always lived in exemplary cohesion. There are a few temples in Lalkurti which are a reminder of the

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

population that lived here before partition. These

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

s are now in disuse and have been annexed into the neighbouring houses. The only temple being used for worship by a small presently existing Hindu population is the Balmik temple.

Museum

* Army Museum is situated next to the CSD shopping complex, on Iftikhar Janjua road (formerly called Napier road). It exhibits vintage arms and ammunition, relics of past wars, war paintings and belongings of the Pakistani war heroes.

Transportation

* Nur Khan Base is at a distance of ten kilometers. *

Daewoo Express Daewoo Express is a Pakistani inter-city common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 60 destinations. Its headquarters are in Lahore. History A timeline of the operations and beginnings of Daewoo Express Ltd: * December 1997 — incorpora ...

Bus service terminal is at a distance of ten kilometers

* Rawalpindi Railway station is only 4 km away.

References

# https://web.archive.org/web/20071024010023/http://www.na.gov.pk/history.htm # http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C10%5C21%5Cstory_21-10-2006_pg11_7 {{coord missing, Punjab, Pakistan Populated places in Rawalpindi Cantonment Rawalpindi Cantonment Populated places in Rawalpindi District