# Pakistan Chowk

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**Pakistan Chowk** is a [chowk](/source/Chowrangi) and cultural heritage site in [Saddar Town](/source/Saddar_Town), [Karachi](/source/Karachi).[1][2]

## History

It was established as an educational center by Dayaram Gidumai Shahani.[3]

In the 1880s, Gidumai purchased the area and developed it as an educational hub.[3] The Sindh College Association operated from this location, and Gidumai founded [D. J. Sindh Government Science College](/source/D._J._Sindh_Government_Science_College), serving as its principal.[3] After his death, his son Kewalram Shahani converted the area into a [public square](/source/Public_square).[3][4]

Pakistan Chowk hosted the Purana Tonga stand, a taxi and Victoria station, as well as well-known cafes such as Café Saadi and Kaisar Restaurant.[3][4] The nearby Bholu Akhada fostered wrestlers such as Bholu Pehelvan and Aslam Pehlevan.[3]

The Shahani family, [Hindu-Sindhi](/source/Sindhi_Hindus) [educationists](/source/Educationist) and writers, promoted Pakistan Chowk as a center for the [printing press](/source/Printing_press).[3] Gidumai translated [sacred texts](/source/Sacred_text), while Kewalram became a philosopher, writing a [Sufi](/source/Sufi) treatise and the first [feminist novel](/source/Feminist_novel) in the [Sindhi language](/source/Sindhi_language).[3] The family established art schools, libraries, and translation centers in the area.[3]

Notable buildings included the Sarnagati Building, which housed a library and artist atelier, and a headquarters for the Sindh Sudhar Society.[3] Pakistan Chowk was also home to the hostel culture of [NED University of Engineering & Technology](/source/NED_University_of_Engineering_%26_Technology), providing accommodations for students and alumni.[3] Hostels such as [Sevakunj](/source/Sevakunj_Hostel), [Mihtaram](/source/Mitha_Ram_Hostel), and [Jinnah Courts](/source/Jinnah_Courts), along with reading rooms, were instrumental in the area's educational history.[3][4]

In 2017, Pakistan Chowk Community Centre was opened at Pakistan Chowk.[5]

## References

1. ["Pakistan Chowk: Restoring the glory of a neglected heritage site"](https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/224175-Restoring-the-glory-of-a-neglected-heritage-site). *[The News International](/source/The_News_International)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230506174637/https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/224175-Restoring-the-glory-of-a-neglected-heritage-site) 6 May 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 May 2023.

1. ["Pakistan Chowk — a sigh of relief in the concrete jungle"](https://tribune.com.pk/story/1260530/changing-cityscape-pakistan-chowk-sigh-relief-concrete-jungle). *[The Express Tribune](/source/The_Express_Tribune)*. December 11, 2016. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20161215233115/http://tribune.com.pk/story/1260530/changing-cityscape-pakistan-chowk-sigh-relief-concrete-jungle/) 15 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 May 2023.

1. ["Old Town — Blog"](https://www.pakistanchowk.com/blog/tag/Old+Town). *Pakistan Chowk Community Centre*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230506174502/https://www.pakistanchowk.com/blog/tag/Old+Town) 6 May 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 May 2023.

1. Shujrah, Mahnaz. ["The Changing Faces of Pakistan Chowk"](https://www.youlinmagazine.com/article/the-changing-faces-of-pakistan-chowk/MTg5OA==). *Youlin Magazine*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230506180425/https://www.youlinmagazine.com/article/the-changing-faces-of-pakistan-chowk/MTg5OA==) 6 May 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 May 2023.

1. Rafi, Haneen (August 17, 2017). ["Pakistan Chowk Community Centre inaugurated"](https://www.dawn.com/news/1352032). *DAWN.COM*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230506183618/https://www.dawn.com/news/1352032) 6 May 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 May 2023.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Pakistan Chowk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan_Chowk) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan_Chowk?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.