Raiwind Palace
| Raiwind Palace | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Alternative names | Raiwind Farm House |
| General information | |
| Status | In use |
| Type | Palace |
| Architectural style | Indo-Saracenic |
| Location | Raiwind |
| Town or city | Lahore |
| Coordinates | 31°19′52″N 74°12′13″E / 31.331242°N 74.203717°E |
| Current tenants | Sharif family, Nawaz Sharif |
| Owner | Sharif family |
Raiwind Palace (Urdu: رائے ونڈ محل) is a palace located in Lahore, Pakistan. It is spread over 1700 acres and is the main residence of the Sharif family.[1][2]
History
[edit]The construction of Raiwind Palace was started in 1997 and was completed within a span of 17 months.[3] It was built in mediterranean-style with at least twenty-two rooms.[4] During the premiership of Nawaz Sharif, Raiwind Palace was declared as the Prime Minister's camp office.[1]
In October 1999, Nawaz Sharif was about to move to this newly built palace but was removed from power in a military coup.[4]
In 2014, it was reported that the palace was owned by Shamim Sharif, the mother of Nawaz and Shehbaz Sharif.[5]
In 2019, Ijaz Ahmed Shah, former Interior Minister of Pakistan, claimed that 280 million rupees were withdrawn from the national exchequer and spent by the Sharif family to build Raiwind Palace.[6]
Architecture
[edit]The Raiwind Palace compound encompasses four marble-faced villas surrounded by expansive lawns and hundreds of acres of wheat fields.[7] During the harvest season, farmworkers can be observed collecting ripe corn from these fields.[7] The palace also includes a private zoo, which houses deers, a herd of antelopes, and a large turkey.[7] Taxidermied leopards are displayed outside the main entrance of the palace.[7]
The interior of the palace features marble flooring in various colors, including pink, green, and blue.[4] The ceilings are decorated with hand-painted rose friezes, while the floors are made of inlaid oak.[4] The walls are covered with panels of silk fabrics, and the rococo chairs are heavily gilded.[4] The central hall includes an atrium with a skylight, where two taxidermied lions are displayed on platforms.[4] Artificial floral arrangements are attached to the edges of the marble staircase, which leads to the second floor containing private rooms.[4] Access to the private quarters is restricted.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "رائیونڈ محل کی کہانی !". May 10, 2017.
- ^ Sheikh, Wajih Ahmed (April 16, 2021). "لاہور: شریف خاندان کی رہائش گاہ کی موجودہ حیثیت برقرار رکھنے کا حکم". Dawn News.
- ^ Niaz, Anjum (May 8, 2016). "View from US: History's most notorious tax evader". DAWN.COM.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Dugger, Celia W. (October 31, 1999). "Amid Pakistani Poverty, Opulent Palace of Ex-Premier" – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ Ali, Iftikhar A. Khan | Kalbe (January 3, 2014). "The mystery of Raiwind palace ownership". DAWN.COM.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Rs280mn spent on construction of 'Raiwind Palace' from national kitty: Ijaz Ahmed". ARY News. July 27, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Burke, Jason (October 29, 1999). "Army throws open first family's palace" – via The Guardian.
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