The Punjab government has established the Lahore Authority for Heritage Revival (LAHR) to restore and preserve the city’s historic sites, with PML-N President Nawaz named patron-in-chief of the authority’s steering committee.
The decision was made during a meeting chaired by the former three-time prime minister and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in Lahore on Sunday. The meeting focused on removing and identifying encroachments from historical sites.
“Old Lahore is very beautiful…it is necessary to restore it to its original condition,” Nawaz said while speaking during the meeting.
He noted that the Europe has preserved its old palaces and buildings in their original form despite the lapse of centuries. “Destruction of national heritage is tantamount to backwardness,” he said, adding that people across Pakistan will be pleased to see the ancient and historical status of Lahore restored.
“Before the establishment of Pakistan, Lahore was considered a cultural centre of the Indo-Pak region,” he said, regretting that now no one likes to go to historical markets due to encroachments.
The PML-N president further said that the Punjab government was working on the restoration of ancient Lahore, and the city would look good in a few years.
He sought a comprehensive plan for the restoration of Lahore’s heritage and directed the authorities concerned to provide alternative space for businesses and pay compensation to the victims of encroachments.
Meanwhile, CM Maryam also agreed to identify and remove encroachments from historical places of Lahore. “We will not allow cities to be spoiled by encroachments,” she said adding that restoring historical buildings was not enough and it is also necessary to maintain them.
During the meeting, the authorities told the participants that the historical gates of Lahore would be restored to their ancient form and at least 115 buildings were considered historical heritage.
The meeting was apprised that out of 75 ancient colonial-era buildings, work is underway on 48 buildings. The authorities also highlighted that plaques would be put up on the residences of Saadat Manto, Shorush Kashmiri and other literary figures on the Mall Road.
CM Maryam was also briefed that Lahore has been divided into six zones for the restoration of its heritage areas. She agreed to a proposal to start work simultaneously for the restoration of all zones and heritage areas. Five locations in the city have been identified for underground parking.
She reviewed the suggestions and recommendations to restore the original appearance of the Blue Dome, Circular Road, gardens and other places to their original condition.
The chief minister expressed displeasure over encroachments around the Circular Road and historical gates. She directed the relevant authorities to remove obstacles to clear the landscape of Bhati and other historical gates. She agreed to a proposal to restore the Imperial Fort, tombs of Jahangir and Noor Jahan, Shalamar Bagh, Kamran’s Bara Dari and other places, besides considering a proposal to build a pedestrian walkway from Shah Alam Market to Bhati Gate.