LAHORE: The Punjab government has shut down its printing press in Lahore, stranded hundreds of its employees and dumped the age-old historic equipment – without any clear roadmap surrounding the fate of the institution or its transition.

The top bureaucrats, including the chief secretary, additional chief secretary and industries department secretary are keeping mum and unable to explain the rationale of their decisions and the way forward.

The Government Printing Press was launched way back in 1867 in a veterinary college and shifted in its purpose-built building in a sprawling 91-kanal plot in 1914.

Top officials reticent about move; press used to print gazette notifications, patwaris’ registers; machines lie abandoned; Bahawalpur press already closed

A few years ago, the government had acquired its 60 kanal land for the establishment of sessions courts and now the building demolished and remaining 31 kanals land handed over to the Lahore High Court.

Sources say the printing press’ still functional historic equipment has been dumped in a room. The antique equipment including an 1860’s machine that used to print through a `Thappa’ is still functional but dumped. There are some 50 machines that are 50 years to 100 years old.

The government printing press was printing government documents needed in the secretariat, all provincial departments, gazette notifications, letter-heads and even the registers used by the Patwaris (revenue officers).

Stating that the government had also shut down its printing press in Bahawalpur, a couple of months ago, officials say the government considered these entities redundant, which would be replaced by a modern digitised system.

However, the government has failed to take any decision surrounding the fate of some 300 employees of the printing press in Lahore and employees in Bahawalpur.

Dawn approached Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Additional Chief Secretary Ahmad Raza Sarwar and Industries Department Secretary Umer Masood to know about the rationale of shutting down the printing press in Lahore and Bahawalpur, fate of the stranded staff and vintage printing press equipment, but none of them had anything to explain and remained tight-lipped.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2026