He issued the instruction following a meeting with Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar.
It immediately drew strong reaction, with critics calling the move “insane”.
Former chief minister Shehbaz Sharif had, during his term, also directed the officials concerned to demolish the outer wall of the Government College in Lahore, and iron grills installed so that people could see the historic college building from outside.
The prime minister’s direction was made public by the Punjab chief minister’s spokesman Dr Shehbaz Gill through his tweet: “PM ordered to demolish Governor House Lahore’s boundary wall immediately.”
Later, in a video message, Gill said that these buildings were constructed in colonial era as a symbol of power and to create “power distance”.
“The big houses of top government functionaries were established to show that they were strong and masses were weak.”
He also hinted that the government would soon come up with another plan to “better use” the Governor’s House building for the benefit of the people.
Lawyers have said that the demolition of the boundary wall of the Governor’s House would be in violation of the Antiquities Act 1975.