The Joint Action Committee for People’s Rights (JAC) has expressed shock over what it described as the “forcible takeover” of Ewing Hall by government authorities, calling for the restoration of the historic building to Forman Christian College University.
According to the committee, Ewing Hall has been part of Forman Christian College since 1916 under a longstanding lease agreement that remains valid until 2048. The building, originally associated with the college’s early campus, has historically served as a student hostel, including accommodation for students from both Forman Christian College and King Edward Medical College.
Located near Nila Gumbad in Lahore, Ewing Hall was constructed in 1916 and named after Dr J. C. R. Ewing, a former principal of Forman Christian College. The JAC described it as one of the city’s most significant examples of historic educational architecture, noting that it has housed generations of students from diverse religious, ethnic and regional backgrounds, contributing to what it called Lahore’s “social cohesion” and cultural life.
While welcoming assurances from the Punjab government that the structure will be preserved and not demolished, the committee stressed that heritage protection must go beyond the retention of physical structures. It argued that historic sites retain their meaning only when their original educational and social functions are preserved.
The statement further noted that Forman Christian College University had suspended the use of Ewing Hall as a hostel in 2018 due to safety concerns, followed by technical assessments and discussions regarding restoration. The committee said this temporary suspension should not be used as grounds for permanent dispossession.
Calling for restraint, the JAC urged the Punjab government to halt further action and engage transparently with all stakeholders. It called for the building’s return to Forman Christian College University and its continued use as a space for learning, residence and shared heritage.