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 |
| Current tenants | Sharif family, Nawaz Sharif |
| Owner | Sharif family |
Raiwind Palace (Urdu: رائے ونڈ محل) is a palace located in Lahore, Pakistan. It is the main residence of Sharif family.
History
The construction of Raiwind Palace was started in 1997 and was completed within a span of 17 months.[1] It was built in mediterranean-style with at least twenty-two rooms.[2]
In October 1999, Nawaz Sharif was about to move to this newly built palace but was removed from power in a military coup.[2]
In 2014, it was reported that the palace was owned by Shamim Sharif, the mother of Nawaz and Shehbaz Sharif.[3]
In 2019, Ijaz Ahmed Shah, former Interior Minister of Pakistan, claimed that 280 million rupees were withdrawn from the national exchequer and spent by the Sharif family to build Raiwind Palace.[4]
Architecture
The Raiwind Palace compound encompasses four marble-faced villas surrounded by expansive lawns and hundreds of acres of wheat fields.[5] During the harvest season, farmworkers can be observed collecting ripe corn from these fields.[5] The palace also includes a private zoo, which houses deers, a herd of antelopes, and a large turkey.[5] Taxidermied leopards are displayed outside the main entrance of the palace.[5]
The interior of the palace features marble flooring in various colors, including pink, green, and blue.[2] The ceilings are decorated with hand-painted rose friezes, while the floors are made of inlaid oak.[2] The walls are covered with panels of silk fabrics, and the rococo chairs are heavily gilded.[2] The central hall includes an atrium with a skylight, where two taxidermied lions are displayed on platforms.[2] Artificial floral arrangements are attached to the edges of the marble staircase, which leads to the second floor containing private rooms.[2] Access to the private quarters is restricted.[2]
References
- ^ 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) - ^ Desk, Web (July 27, 2019). "Rs280mn spent on construction of 'Raiwind Palace' from national kitty: Ijaz Ahmed". ARY NEWS.
- ^ a b c d Burke, Jason (October 29, 1999). "Army throws open first family's palace" – via The Guardian.