Former Punjab minister and University of Management and Technology (UMT) President Ibrahim Hassan Murad has proposed relocating Lahore Gymkhana and Aitchison College to the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) area, arguing that their existing prime urban estates could be repurposed for wider public benefit.
Murad’s proposal comes as the Punjab Assembly continues its scrutiny of the Lahore Gymkhana’s long-standing lease. A provincial assembly special committee has questioned how more than 100 acres of prime government land in central Lahore could remain under lease to the club for an annual rent of Rs5,000. Official records cited by Dawn put the area at roughly 112 acres and its assessed market value as high as Rs218 billion.
In a proposal reported on October 24, Murad called for what he described as a broader process of “decolonising” institutions and public assets. He said the objective should not be the closure of either institution but their relocation to modern, purpose-built facilities in RUDA, while their existing properties are redeveloped for educational, recreational and economic purposes.
Murad proposed converting the approximately 113-acre Lahore Gymkhana estate into a major public park, with up to 35% of the site allocated for educational purposes. He estimated that leasing this portion to educational institutions could generate around Rs200 million annually, while selective development of commercially valuable portions facing major roads could potentially raise another Rs25 billion. These figures are Murad’s estimates and would require independent valuation and feasibility studies before any redevelopment decision.
The proposal follows intensified scrutiny of the Gymkhana lease by the Punjab Assembly. The committee has sought the original lease documents, approval records, valuation criteria and details of construction permissions. The Board of Revenue has also been questioned over the legal basis for the Rs5,000 annual rent.
Lahore Gymkhana Chairman Salman Siddique recently acknowledged before the committee that the existing rent was inadequate and said the club should be paying at least Rs10 million annually. Officials told the committee that the club’s lease was extended in 1996 for 50 years beginning in 2000.
Murad extended his proposal to Aitchison College, whose official website describes its campus as covering almost 200 acres in the heart of Lahore. He suggested relocating the institution to RUDA and using its existing property either for a major educational complex or a new central business and government district.
Under his proposed model, around 100 acres of the Aitchison property could potentially be commercially developed. Using an assumed land value of Rs100 million per kanal, Murad estimated that this portion could generate around Rs80 billion. He also suggested that the property could instead be used to establish a large-scale educational complex aimed at children currently outside the formal school system.
Murad estimated that the combined redevelopment potential of the two sites could exceed Rs100 billion. He proposed creating an education endowment or public welfare fund with the proceeds, arguing that the money could support millions of children through low-cost education programmes. He cited education organisations including The Citizens Foundation, Ghazali Education Trust, Al-Khidmat and Baithak Schools as examples of relatively low-cost education models.
The proposal also includes a relocation package of around Rs10 billion for the two institutions. Murad suggested that funding could come from existing members and stakeholders, government loans or grants, while the institutions could receive limited equity participation in redevelopment projects as part of a transition and disturbance arrangement.
The proposed relocation would require legal, financial and planning reviews, including examination of existing lease and ownership arrangements, heritage considerations, institutional continuity, land valuation and regulatory approvals. No government decision to relocate either Lahore Gymkhana or Aitchison College has been announced.
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Murad framed the proposal as part of a wider debate over the use of high-value public land and whether historic institutions should continue operating from large estates in central Lahore. His comments come amid the Punjab Assembly’s ongoing examination of the Gymkhana lease, with lawmakers questioning whether the land can deliver greater public benefit.
