Allama Iqbal Statue At Lahore Park Was Made By Gardeners On Their Own

Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) Chairman Yasir Gillani has revealed that the Allama Iqbal statue that was display at Lahore’s Gulshan Iqbal Park was made by gardeners working at the park who raised funds to pay tribute to the national poet.

When the photos first appeared on social media, people criticised the statue and said it did not look like Iqbal. The photos of the statue generated memes on social media as it was assumed that the statue was commissioned by the government.

Yasir Gillani in his tweet clarified that the statue wasn’t the result of a ‘corrupt and inefficient government’, as some users suggested, but was instead “prepared by maalis on their own”.
https://twitter.com/yasir_gillani/status/1356512137376649216?s=21

After it emerged that gardeners were behind the statue, a hashtag #KeepTheStatue has begun trending on social media with people calling on the authorities not to take down the statue as it is a labour of love.

https://twitter.com/ammaralijan/status/1356581111867047938?s=21

https://twitter.com/maryamful/status/1356584690220679168?s=21

Social media users who had previously criticised the statue and the way it looked have since apologised and are now asking the authorities to keep the statue.