M. M. Alam Road Explained

M.M. Alam Road
Location:Lahore
Terminus A:Main Market, Gulberg
Junction:Hussain Chowk
Mini Market Roundabout
Terminus B:Firdous Market, Gulberg

Muhammad Mahmood Alam Road (Urdu: {{nq|سڑک محمد محمود عالم, Sarak-e-Muhammad Mahmood Alam), or more popularly known as M. M. Alam Road, is a major road in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan named in honour of the Pakistan Air Force flying ace, Air Commodore Muhammad Mahmood Alam. The road extends from Gulberg Main Market to Firdous Market in Gulberg, and runs parallel to Gulberg Boulevard thus providing an alternate route. The road hosts a variety of flamboyant restaurants, fashion boutiques, shopping malls, beauty saloons and décor stores.[1] A long delayed remodeling project for the road was launched in 2011 with a budget of .[2]

History

The road is named after flying ace of Pakistan Air Force, Air Commodore Muhammad Mahmood Alam who was the recipient of the Pakistani military decoration, the Sitara-e-Jurrat (The star of courage) and a bar to it for his dog fight during the Indo Pakistan War of 1965 when he downed five Indian aircraft in less than a minute, the first four within 30 seconds, establishing a world record.[3] [4] [5] [6] It used to be a residential area, which quickly became commercial with the opening up of many private schools and later fashion studios like Jafferjees and international and national restaurants such as KFC, Nandos and Pizza Hut. It has been renovated to cope with the heavy traffic and night life of the area.

Recently Tim Hortons has open their first branch near to MM Alam Road in Gulberg, Lahore.[7]

Rehabilitation

Widening and rehabilitation of the road project initiated by Punjab Government started in November, 2012 and was completed in March 2013.

References

  1. Web site: Haq . Shahram . Urban planning: MM Alam Road to be heart of new business district – The Express Tribune . Tribune.com.pk . 11 December 2010. 2012-01-20.
  2. News: MM Alam Road Remodelling Project finally ready for kick-off. 29 January 2012. Pakistan Today. 5 July 2011.
  3. Web site: EVENTS - M M ALAM'S F-86. Pakistan Air Force (official website). 5 March 2010. Pakistan.
  4. Web site: Alam's Speed-shooting Classic . Defencejournal.com . Air Cdre M Kaiser Tufail . 2011-11-15 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110927040737/http://www.defencejournal.com/2001/september/alam.htm . 2011-09-27 .
  5. Book: Fricker, John. Battle for Pakistan: the air war of 1965. 1979 . 15–17 . 9780711009295 . before we had completed more than of about 270 degree of the turn, at around 12 degree per second, all four hunters had been shot down ... My fifth victim of this sortie started spewing smoke and then rolled on to his back at about 1000 feet..
  6. Book: Polmar. Norman. One hundred years of world military aircraft. 2003. Naval Institute Press. 978-1-59114-686-5. 354. Dana . Bell. Mohammed Mahmood Alam claimed five victories against Indian Air Force Hawker Hunters, four of them in less than one minute! Alam, who ended the conflict with 11 kills, became history's only jet "ace-in-a-day.".
  7. News: 2023-02-14 . Coffee trumps economic crisis as Tim Hortons opens in Pakistan . en . Reuters . 2023-03-09.