Muslim Town, Lahore

Muslim Town (Punjabi, Urdu: شهرک مسلمان‎, Shahrak-e-Musalman) is a neighbourhood and union council (UC 115) located in Samanabad Tehsil of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located on the banks of Lahore Canal.

Muslim Town شهرک مسلمان
Union Council
Country	Pakistan
Province	Punjab
City	Lahore
Administrative town	Samanabad
Union council	115
Government
• Type	Union Council

History

Muslim Town was founded in 1909 by four people. Syed Nadir Hussain, Dr. Syed Muhammad Hussain, Syed Ahmed Hussain & Khan Bahadur Syed Mahmood Shah. They were the sons of Khan Bahadur Aalim Shah & Syed Nawab Shah of village Kara Chechi, Tehsil Shakargarh.

3400 Kanals of land was purchased for this purpose along the Canal. During the early 20th century, Model Town was an exclusive Hindu locality of Lahore. Muslims could not buy property in that neighbourhood and in response to this prejudice, they bought agricultural land along the Lahore Canal. Professional town planners were tasked to plan a residential neighbourhood, that was initially named Islamabad. However, on the suggestion of their friend Allama Muhammad Iqbal, it was decided to rename the locality as "Muslim Town", to emphasize its Muslim character in response to the exclusivity of Model Town as a non Muslim locality.

The family started building their houses here. Plots of varied sizes ranging from 10 marlas to 12 kanals were sold, the prices were approx 600 per Kanal or 30 Rupees per Marla. Dr. Syed Muhammad Hussain constructed a mosque in Muslim Town (Aisha Masjid), in memory of their late mother. Land was allocated for a graveyard for the descendants of Syed Aalim Shah and Syed Nawab Shah in Shah Jamal and another graveyard in Muslim Town for the benefit of general public. The Shah Jamal graveyard is under the exclusive custodianship of the family . Agricultural land around Muslim Town was later acquired by the Lahore Development Authority as part of Shah Jamal, Gulberg and New Muslim Town schemes.

Syed Nadir Hussain joined the Revenue dept. and rose to the position of an Extra Asst. Commisioner. He was murdered while on a tour of duty in Shahpur Dist. Allama Iqbal wrote his تاریخ وفات in Persian which is inscribed on his tombstone.

Dr Syed Muhammad Hussain was known for his medical acumen. The Nawab of Bahawalpur brought his sister to be treated by him and Dr Hussain successfully cured her jaundice. Nawab Sahib insisted on giving a fee of 16000 rupees but Dr Hussain resisted, explaining that he had cured the patient from an ordinary ailment and the fee was too high for that purpose. When Nawab Sahib insisted, Dr Hussain requested that this money be used for the education of children in the Islamic Bahawalpur State. This gesture impressed the Nawab further and on his return to Bahawalpur he allotted 200 squares of land in the name of the family (original papers of this allotment are in the custody of the elders of the family) . The land was distributed among all family member/cousins/nephews who decided to migrate to Khanpur and reclaim the land. Syed Nadir Hussian and Dr. Hussain's son, Syed Altaf Hussain were amongst the first to start developing the agricultural land. Syed Nadir Hussain, Syed Ahmed Hussain and Khan Bahadur Mehmood Shah bought bought more land (300) Squares in the area adjacent to Khanpur, which is called Nadirabad and Moni Thal now. Dr Hussain's younger son Col. Dr Bashir Hussain Syed, later on I G Prisons, and then Director General Health West Pakistan, made a name for himself and was widely known and respected. He was recognized by every one as a Family elder. His sister Safia Begum, inherited land in Khanpur through her husband Syed Mumtaz Shah.

When Dr Hussain's nephew syed Nazir Hussian contacted tuberculosis, Syed Muhammad Hussain left no stone unturned to get best available medical care for him. However, he realized that most tuberculosis sanatoriums were being run by Hindu philanthropists there was apparent reluctance towards admission of Muslim patients. Dr Muhammad Hussain decided to build a Tuberculosis Sanatorium in Samli, Murree that was inaugurated by Lord & Lady Linlithgow, Viceroy of India. This is the largest T B Sanatorium in Pakistan

Dr. Muhammed Hussain's daughter Safia Begum and Syed Nadir Hussain's daughter Farkhanda Begum started an English School for Muslim Children in her 12 kanal house in Muslim Town and hired Mrs. Lewis, an English Lady as its Principal. She became the Headmistress in 1930s imparting modern education to the young until the time when the school had to be closed around partition in 1947. There is a Safia Street and a Safia Park housing estate within Muslim Town named after her memory. She built "Syed Imtiaz Hussain Ward" in memory of her son Syed Imtiaz Hussain in Dr. Syed Muhammad Hussain TB Santorum.

Col. Bashir Hussian lost his eldest son in a PAF air crash and his second son was commissioned into the Armoured Corps, and was respected by his seniors and juniors alike, as a through professional. He fought in both the '65 &' 71 Wars heroically.He was known as an officer, who always led from the front. Syed Nadir Hussain had three sons and a daughter. The eldest was Syed Inayat Husain, the middle one was Syed Nazir Hussain and the youngest was Syed Shabbir Hussain. Inayat Hussain Shah was an expert in the field of Agriculture and Economics. He was appointed as an Advisor on Economic Affairs by President Ayub Khan. Syed Nazir Hussain died at an early age. He had three sons, Syed Zameer Husain, Syed Munir Hussain CSP. and Lt. Gen Syed Saghir Hussain (Armoured Corp), Munir retired as a Grade 22 officer after having served as Chief Secretary of two provinces. Syed Shabbir Hussain joined the Revenue Dept and took early retirement as a Secretary (Settlement & Rehablitation). He was also famous as a short story writer, and wrote Jhok Siyal, which was the first play to be Telecast as a serial by PTV. He married Malika Pukhraj, one of the best Ghazal and Pahari singers. Her ever green song 'Abhi to mein Jawaan hoon' remains a favourite to this day. One of his sons Maj Tanvir Hussain fought in Chamb Jaurian in the '71 War and was awarded the Gallantry award of Sitara e Jurat.

Syed Ahmed Hussian also belonged to the Revenue Department. He was known as one of the most generous and well connected persons. Generation after Generation after generation remember him wherever he had served.He was considered to be a 'Prince' because of his generosity and hospitality. Syed Khalid Hussain and Syed Asad Hussain donated land and Syed Asad Hussain constructed Syed Altaf Hussain Eye Hospital on this land in [[Khanpur, Rahim Yar Khan District (a rare example of two philanthropic hospitals in name of a father and son. Some of the early settlers in Muslim Town, besides the Syed family, included : Abdus Majeed Salik (writer), Maulana Ghulam Rasool Mehar, Maulana Mohammed Ali Sahib, Saif ud Din Saif, Ustad Allah Bux, Sabiha Khanum Sahiba, Santosh Kumar, Nayyar Sultana Darpan, Agha Taalish, Allauddin, Akmal, Hasan Lateef, Saifuddin Saif, Agha Akhtar Qazilbash, Ibraheem Nafees, Tanvir Naqvi, Riaz Ahmed and M Suleman (Film industry) and many more. At that time, there were only two film studios, Pancholi No. 1 & Pancholi No. 2

See also

• Muslim Town Flyover

References